Christmas 2012

(This post is late. Sooooo late.  But like they say, "Better late then never!!")

I loooooooooove Christmas.  I love how everyone seems to smile more, give more, be a little kinder, a bit more patient, more willing to serve, more like Christ I guess.  I love it.  And I love that I can now pass my obsession with love of Christmas on to my kids.  We spent the month before Christmas talking constantly about Christ, and how he was born, and why he was born, and how he lived, and why he lived, and how we can be more like him.  It was the best month ever.  I don't know why we need a season to suddenly make it ok to talk about Christ constantly.  But I am already counting down to next Christmas!

We had Christmas dinner with my family the week before Christmas (coz that's when everyone was going to be around).  We did our 2nd annual Nativity play, which was totally awesome and the best part of the day by far.  I think as the kids get older and less crazy, the play won't be as awesome.

This year Malachi was Joseph, Vili was a shepherd, and Lani was meant to be a sheep, but she didn't co-operate (typical babies....) 

 

It was so good to have all the kiddies together again, even if it was just for a little while.

Christmas day we opened presents and ate breakfast. It's fun to see the kids develop in their understanding of presents. Malachi was excited about what was in them and who they came from, Vili was just excited to open a present (and took his time doing it, he caaaaaarefully pulled a tiny bit of paper at a time, and screamed if we tried to hurry or help him), and Lani just loved the paper. We have decided not do make Santa a part of our Christmas. The kids will get enough of it everywhere else, but we wanted to make Christmas in our home about Christ and about family, and so the kids knew that their presents came from Mummy and Daddy and Grandparents etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love that this was Lani's first Christmas, and I loved seeing how she took the whole day in and feed off everyone's energy and excitement.

  

Christmas Breakfast!!

  

 

And then we headed to Cooks beach for a few days.  I love Christmas at the beach, that IS Christmas to me.  The weather wasn't the best so we cut our trip short, but it was so great being with family and just hanging out.

  

 

 

 Merry Christmas every one!!!!