Before Christmas

Before Christmas.

Isn't it true that the anticipation of Christmas,
the time BEFORE Christmas,
is often more exciting than Christmas Day?

Buying gifts for loved ones, wrapping, planning, decorating...

This year, the time before Christmas was extra special.
With my sister and her family here, there was time spent in NYC and Vermont,
a marriage proposal,  gingerbread house competition
and lots of time spent with family and friends,
just  being together.

There were unexpected visits from good friends...

bearing thoughtful gifts!

After church on Christmas Eve,  we had an Asian dinner of ginger chicken, fried rice and egg rolls.

Then we decided we would each opened one gift.

The gift I made for my sister got the expected reaction!

It was a photo book of all the times our families have spent together since our children were born. 

The tears came as Emily read the foreward.
(see end of blog post for details)

Vance's brother and his wife visited too.

and Ravioli.

The end of the evening was spent looking at Bride's Magazine
in search of a wedding dress for Emily!

Foreward

Family

In truth a family is what you make it.  It is made strong, not by the number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit.