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