We had a lovely Christmas last year. Small, but nice. We try to keep Christmas focused on Jesus Christ rather than on the gift giving, so we try not to go overboard with presents. We have consciously chosen to keep Christmas on the small side, but we also remember all of the excitement that Christmas presents bring to children of all ages. We try to take a nice middle of the road approach, and it works well most years.
Yet, as our kids get older, they notice that we choose to make Christmas "less grand" than some of their friends, Michael especially. I asked him how he feels about it, and he says he's fine with it. He recognizes that his friends receive more gifts and fancier gifts, but he's generally happy with what he receives. I hope so.
We feel this will give our kids a little bit of that Christmas "magic" without giving them unrealistic expectations or overdoing the gifts, so that they no longer value them. I guess time will tell, won't it?
Well, without further ado, here are some pictures from our Christmas 2013 celebration. Some are a bit blurry. Sorry!
Posts
