Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Our Family Christmas

It's hard to believe that another Christmas has come and gone! Christmas 2012 was a new experience for the Hemminger family as it was our first to celebrate at home. Typically we make the trip up to MN for a whirlwind of family gatherings and fun, but I did not feel equipped for the 12+ hour drive in my third trimester of pregnancy. (With all the crazy weather they've had, we probably wouldn't have made it through anyway!) So, even though we missed seeing our extended family, we were able to enjoy a quiet, family celebration in the comfort of our own home.

Shawn was probably the most eager of our clan to open presents Christmas morning! (He had been bugging me almost daily for weeks "Can we open some early?") Benjamin has yet to get excited about the concept of unwrapping presents, though he had the majority of gifts under the tree. We spaced them out for him, letting him play with his familiar toys inbetween. We stayed in comfy pajamas for most of the day and dressed up later to enjoy a small Christmas feast for three. (I guess you could say for four, because by Joelle's kicks, she seemed to enjoy it quite a bit too!)

After supper we read the Christmas story together, first from Benjamin's board book Bible and then from the Gospel of Luke as our son played on the floor. Being pregnant this year made Christmas extra meaningful for me. As I felt my baby's kicks, I thought of Almighty God made flesh, kicking in His own mommy's womb. The miracle of His incarnation took on a greater reality for me, and I was struck again by the extravagence of His love and the depth of His humility as He took on our humanity so as to redeem us into a new identity as sons and daughters of God. Jesus truly is the greatest gift! It is with great expectation that we welcome this new year, excited to see all that He has in store!


Time for presents!
 

 
Who's more excited--Benjamin or Daddy?

 
Lookin' good!

 
Two amazing movies--Smile As Big as the Moon and October Baby!
 
 
New books from Mommy and Daddy
 
 
The face of cuteness!
 
 
Daddy using Benjamin's newly assembled toys as props for his action figures. (For fun I put a Batman action figure in his stocking and opened up a whole new can of worms!) I wish there was a way to include the sound effects!
 
 
Our Christmas feast!
 
 
Happy New Year from our family to yours!