Christmas Day 2013

Quiet Christmas mornings at home are the best! This year we just did the usual opening of gifts, followed by breakfast/brunch, relaxing and then dinner at my parents’ in Portland. The best way to spend Christmas!

Opening stockings…

The gifts…

the crock pot just got better!

   

Andy really wanted a new desk chair

the family gift

Yeah! They both fit!

checking out the new forensics book

now the house smells and looks pretty!

So glad he likes it!

the best place to practice tying a bow tie is on your leg!

We have to decide what to waterproof first???

something new to shoot at

What a great Christmas!

Christmas Eve

This year’s Christmas Eve theme was pioneer food (and sickness). The Dorrs all missed the party because of the dumb flu going around and then Johnathon went home early sick and Theresa woke up with a fever on Christmas morning. We missed having the whole family together this year but we were still blessed with a wonderful day!

Uncle Chris had lots of fun with the girls!

We all got lots of great gifts!

After dinner we just visited and played games before we went to the candlelight service at church.

It has all led up to this… I recently had a conversation with a woman I know about the Christmas season. She was lamenting that there was all this build up for so long only to have it all over in only one day. So much work and all this hype, and then it’s gone. But I realized that she has it all wrong. The joy of the Christmas season isn’t about the cookies or the decorations. It’s not about the presents or the parties or the kids’ programs. It’s not even about getting together with family and friends. It’s about the fact that our Savior was born over 2000 years ago to die for our sins so that we could spend eternity in heaven. THAT is the source of our joy! And that joy doesn’t end when the tree is down and the gifts are all forgotten and put away. That joy is the joy that lasts! “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great JOY which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’” Luke 2:10-12

Clark Family Christmas 2013

Once again Uncle Roddy and Aunt Nancy hosted a lovely Christmas party for the family! It is so great to get to see all my cousins and their families! I just wish we had more time to visit or got to see each other more often. But I love seeing how much everyone has grown and changed since the last time we saw them.

And just like every gathering our family has, there was plenty of delicious food and great fellowship, too!

Santa made his annual appearance to hand out gifts to all the kids. Mysteriously Grandpa Frank was there when Santa appeared, making the identity of the bearded gift-giver still unknown! ;o)

 

All the kids were really excited to see Santa and hear their name called for their gift!

Well, not everyone was excited to see Santa…

Poor Elsie started crying as soon as he caught a glimpse of Santa through the window. This was as close as she got. She liked the present but not the giver… :o)

When everyone had their presents, they went inside to see what they got.

This year’s gift: Peanut’s books and character stuffed animals.