Christmas Letter 2012

Christmas time is a special time for many, it certainly is for us. The kids are growing and beginning more and more to develop a sense of what Christmas means to them. With that in mind we spent some time reflecting this year about how we want to celebrate as a family.

Interestingly enough with all the thought we have put in to how we want to celebrate not a lot of celebrating has been done, so far. Because of the buisiness of December we decided to host a small get together in honor of Jonathan's 30th Birthday a few weeks early, in November. We had a lovely Wine & Cheese Party which went really well but that was the end of the celebrating. Soon after we all became ill with bad colds and for me a terrible sinus infection. So as soon as December showed up the Cancelations began! December 1 we had to cancel cookie baking. December 2 we cancelled going to the Canuck Place Winter Party. December 3rd we had only left overs from the Neufeld Family Christmas. Homeschooling was put on hold. Swimming lessons were missed. Rehersals and Christmas Pageants and Church Services too. I have not had time to make the Christmas Cards I designed earlier this year (so you'll have to settle for this online Christmas letter instead, sorry!) or to finish my Christmas Shopping. As I was grumbling about this (to myself) the familiar lines from "the Grinch Who Stole Christmas" rehersed in my head... "It came without ribbons... it came without tags... it came without packages, boxes or bags... somehow rather it came JUST THE SAME." When I find myself overwhelmed with the housework that needs catching up on and the "to do" list that has only gotten longer in the last few weeks I remember that Christmas came "just the same." In the business of a census, with travelers all around and no room in the Inn Jesus was born. Born in a stable!

2012 has been a great year for us. I started the year a little bit pregnant and a lot nausious but things smoothed out as we headed into our second trimester. We were very excited to be welcoming another daughter into the family in August. Once Rebekah arrived Jonathan started his first ever parental leave, taking almost 9 weeks off work. It was so nice to have him home as we all adjusted balancing a baby with our many other responsibilities. We concluded his parental leave with a trip to the new family cabin near 100 mile house (this is where the above family picture was taken in September).
There is lots to look forward to in 2013. A trip for myself. More babies (not for us). More trips to the cabin and a visit from Lauren, Brent and our new baby niece... Freya! We look forward to visits from Family on the Island and to visiting there as well.

We wish all our loved ones the same JOY we celebrate at Christmas. A JOY not dependant on turkey dinners, presents, or tinsil. The JOY that was born to us some 2000 years ago. Emmanuel; God with us. The Savior of the world. Happy Birthday Jesus! Merry Christmas.