He came!!!

JESUS CAME!!! The prophets told of His coming and today, we get to yet again celebrate God's fulfilled promise to all mankind!
I don't know what time the kids got up. . .we went to church last night then asked them to allow the adults to sleep until 8 a.m. Tom and I got up then and Margaret was still sleeping!! When we got downstairs, baby Jesus had already been put in the Nativity (we mail Santa baby Jesus each year so He can be our first gift of the day) and Thomas & Marie had already looked up the Bible versus Santa had left them. Aunt Kathy didn't get up for another hour so they had that time to wait. . .and wait. . .at 6, 7, 9, and 11 it's still hard :)

Gifts were passed out, opened, pictures, and fun!

Marie had such a good time explaining the baskets to everyone who got them (3 were passed out on Wednesday night). I was frustrated because the playing cards that I had ordered for the baskets never came, but since I had them sent up here when they come they will be easier to get to everyone.

Tom and I made breakfast for everyone and we had a late brunch.
My mother-in-law has invited my mother over for dinner tonight so we are getting ready to go and get her. . .she lent me her car yesterday to run a few errands so it's up to me to pick her up today:) So. . .while the day will surely turn to night, God surely sent His only Son to save the world. As we sang the "usual" songs last evening in church I couldn't help but get choked up as I saw the Truth in the phrases put on the screen. . ."Joy to the World, THE LORD HAS COME"; "Go tell it on the mountain that JESUS CHRIST IS BORN"; and "Hark the herald angles sing, GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING". May we continue to celebrate His birth every day of the year!!!! P.S. On a funny note: My mother-in-law takes baby Jesus out of her Nativity set since we stay here Christmas Eve/Day. We forgot to ask her where she hid Jesus and she had already gone to bed last night by the time we needed Him. . .Tom and I searched EVERYWHERE looking for Him. . .I felt like we were on an Easter egg hunt!!! We did finally find Him carefully hidden away. . .I was NOT going to go to bed without finding Jesus -- I can handle the idea of Santa Claus as long as he keeps JESUS first in his notes and gifts to the kids :) Our oldest, 11 years, had even written in his note to Santa (he knows the truth but keeps it alive for the others) where to leave the baby. . .along with a precious letter letting Santa know he was leaving his Bible open to the Christmas story so he could read while he ate his cookies. Sometimes I think they want to keep the magic alive for themselves too :)