I have always loved Christmas. As a child, I assume it was my favorite holiday because of the gifts, but my mom always made the holidays magical. Our home was decorated, Christmas carols were abounding, and the Christmas spirit was real.
As I have gotten older, Christmas is still my favorite holiday, but for different reasons. I still love the Christmas spirit, and there is something different in the air during the Christmas holidays. People are kinder, smile more, and are more generous (for the most part). I love to see people give in abundance.
I love to see the look on children’s faces as they open gifts, see Santa, or sing Christmas carols. I recently saw something that said, ” I thought Christmas as a child was the best way to experience Christmas, until I had kids– that is the best.”
I couldn’t agree more. I know some people can get frustrated with the gifts and hub bub that comes with Christmas, but I choose to embrace it! What other holiday is worth getting more excited about?!? We are celebrating the birth of our Savior and I want it to be the biggest, most exciting time of the year- EVER!
Yes, I want to take time to rest, and I of course want to make sure we are celebrating for the right reasons, but there are extremes, and I think there is a way to still embrace everything about Christmas while still keeping Jesus at the focus. And if I ever feel like my family is losing that focus, we will reign it in. But I always want to make it clear why we go “overboard” at Christmas- for the celebration of our Savior. And for me, overboard isn’t in gifts—it is embracing this time of year. Christmas movies, traditions, gingerbread houses, Christmas carols, lights, baking, pallet parties, spending quality time with family—those are my favorite things about Christmas.
As if Christmas could get any better, it was around Christmas last year that we learned we would be parents. We received a call on December 17th that a birth mother had chosen us to be the parents to the child she was carrying in her womb!
When we received this call, we were silent on the phone. I am sure our attorney thought we weren’t even excited! But, what do you say to that?!? I was processing everything and had a HUGE frog in my throat to which I literally could not speak.
It was in that moment, that phone call, that the reality of everything I had been through for the last few years had come to this moment. No, I do not believe the only reason I went through cancer was to have our daughter, but I do believe it was one of the main reasons.
Cancer led me to infertility. Infertility led me to adoption. And then adoption led us to our angel. She was and is worth it all.
Having her has taught me so much about surrendering to God and once we surrender to Him, He changes our heart’s desires. I didn’t even know that was possible! I always thought that our heart’s desires were just that and they were set in stone. That’s who we were.
Boy, was I wrong. Once we surrendered to God’s plan, we realized that the adoption of Genevieve was the first and best choice for our family. It wasn’t a back-up plan or second best, but part of God’s perfect design and plan all along. We just had to go through A LOT to get there.
Many times I wonder if I would have surrendered sooner– would I have had to go through so much? That answer– I may never know this side of heaven. But I sit here today so grateful.
December is still one of my favorite moments. This was the month we learned we would be parents. This is the month we celebrate the greatest miracle of all time. I now think of the birth of Christ so differently, as I see it through Joseph’s eyes. As he adopted Jesus as his own, and then how Jesus adopted us.
And now because of our own adoption, we are heirs of God! Praise Jesus! There is so much to celebrate this December. I remember thinking last Christmas that things couldn’t be better. We knew we were going to be parents. The best Christmas ever- not! I was wrong. Now, we get to experience it through the beautiful blue eyes of our baby girl. Now, THAT is the best.
Oh, and by the way, we are lowering Genevieve’s crib tonight as I walked in today to find her standing up in it. I know there were some of you worrying about it:) She is SO big!
Celebrating this month and all it means,
Aly