Merry Christmas 2022!

Merry Christmas from the Houstons!  Throughout this holiday season, may we never forget the greatest gift we were ever given, the birth of our Savior, Jesus!

For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

-Isaiah 9:6

Before Christmas, we were able to check out our local Botanical Gardens light display.  We also made our way to the Sunset Hills neighborhood to see the Christmas balls!  We enjoyed hot chocolate in the car while we looked at all the festive lights.  Zander has said that he would like this to be a yearly tradition... you know how much I like annual traditions. ;)

We made Christmas cookies at Grammy's with the Kennedy kids, a.k.a our cousins!  Maddox and Emerson were the most excited about helping with the cookie making and decorating process.  Zander and Eli would stop in every few minutes to monitor the progress and see when the cookies would be ready for consumption!

We also made our annual Happy Birthday Jesus cake!  I forgot to take a picture of the finished product but the boys made a red velvet cake with funfetti icing this year!  I always think it is cool that Jesus has the biggest birthday party every year!  Who else do you know that celebrates a birthday spread out over a few months of preparations and where we exchange gifts to represent the greatest gift we've ever been given?! :)

Daddy was off work on Friday so we went to our local bowling alley since the temperatures were in the 20s (and moving to the single digits that evening).  I won the first game and Zack won the second game. The kids even traded places in the rankings so everyone was a winner for our bowling outing! ;)

We went to Grammy and Grandpa's for Christmas Eve dinner.  It was definitely "sweater weather" with the cold front that had made its way to our house!  Burke is not a fan of sweaters. ;)  We watched "Polar Express" after a delicious dinner.  It seemed fitting we would watch Polar Express considering we had taken a train ride earlier this month on the Polar Express to the North Pole.;)

The boys enjoyed all their presents Christmas morning.  Santa brough Zander an Ipad (which he has requested for many years).  Maddox got his own Nintendo Switch! Both boys were excited to get what was on their wish list.  Maddox also requested a "real pup" but that will need to wait for a future year.  We don't want Burke to have to share the attention with another four-legged animal in our household. ;)

Christmas was on Sunday this year which meant that we got dressed and ready to head out the door after breakfast Christmas morning.  It was so special being at church with my family as celebrated Jesus' birthday.  I read somewhere that Christmas won't fall on a Sunday again for 11 years.... it is crazy to think about how much will change in that time frame!  

We wish each of you a Merry Christmas and pray you will always feel Jesus' presence in the little moments surrounding this Christmas season.  After all, he humbly came as a baby in a manger.  What a precious gift we were given all those years ago?!  I am so thankful that God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world!  What an incredible hope I have for the future because God gave us this Christmas season!