Ho Ho Holidays!

While we knew we were expecting last Christmas, I must say that this is the first year that actually felt like Christmas in our house! We have always celebrated with family and friends, and had wonderful Christmas memories...this year was extra special because it was the first year we spent it just as a little family in our own home. Luke and I both got into the Christmas spirit, and decorated our home for Jayme. Being only six months old...she has no clue what is going on, but it was still fun to establish our own holiday traditions this year!

Our most special tradition is our Christmas Cross. Luke and I have discussed over the past years about how important we feel it is to keep the spirit of Christmas close at heart during the holidays once we have our own family. And while Santa will most definitely be welcomed to stop at the Fidler household, we wanted a way to honor the best gift of Christmas of all....So after much discussion and debate, Luke came up with the idea of decorating a Christmas Cross rather than a Christmas Tree. The Christmas Tree really has no significant Christian meaning behind it...so it seemed like a nice way to remind us what Christmas is really about, but still allow us to take part in all the fun of Christmas time! So we found a local woodworker, who also happens to be a minister at one of the local churches in town, and he set out to make us our Christmas Cross. It's 7 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and made of peeled pine. The center plate that holds the cross together is engraved with "The Fidlers" and "John 3:16" It's beautiful, perfect, and everything we were hoping for. We had so much fun dressing it in garland, lights, cranberries, and all of the special ornaments we have been collecting over the years.

We hung up stockings by our tree as well...but they were a little inaccessible to Santa, so he had to leave our loot under our cross instead!

Jayme didn't really understand the present opening part of Christmas, which was OK. She did get a few goodies from Santa, and some fun things from family and friends. All the gifts she got will get good use, but she definitely thought the best gifts were the ones she could fit into her mouth...

Her Daddy gave her a deer skin rug because the two of them love to play on the floor in the evenings. She was pretty excited about it, and she loves to lay on it and pet it.

It was a wonderful Christmas for us, and we are blessed to have been able to spend it with our families. We are most thankful for Jayme, who made this Christmas extra special for us. What a wonderful time of year!