Our Christmas Angel, Jaiden

It's a Beautiful Life--Christmas 2006

Merry Christmas, 2006

We had a wonderful Christmas and I pray you all did as well.
Staying at home this year was both relaxing and a blessing. We were able to wake up Christmas morning and see Jaiden's eyes light up as she noticed there was something different about our living room. After the exclamation "toys!!!" she went about her business of picking up a new toy and moving on to the next. It was short-lived however.
I think the unwrapping of gifts was more burdensome than exciting and moving from one new toy to the next was not something she was a fan of. She wanted to examine each toy before proceeding and she rather us open them for her. Maybe next year!!!
Jaiden was showered with gifts from all of her relatives; books, puzzles, sidewalk chalk, apparel, a rocking horse, personalized pillow, a new bike...just to name a few! Thank you for all of her wonderful new goodies!
We were able to spend a nice, quiet dinner with my parents and Aden's parents yesterday afternoon. I filled the table with brisket, loaded mashed potatoes, plain mashed potatoes to be smothered in gravy, biscuits, croissants, stuffing, buttered corn, cherry and apple pie, etc. We were all pretty full. I was fine until I had to try BOTH pies.
All in all, it was a pleasant Christmas and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. I miss all who were missing and pray that it was just as enjoyable from where you were... I am constantly reminded of God's greatness and grace each time we have these family moments. I see the innocence in Jaiden as she plays carelessly in our presence, I see the kindness in Aden's eyes as he looks admirably on to his father, I see the love in my father's eyes as he comes into the room shouting, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" with his Green Bay Packer santa hat just a little crooked on top of his head. I am blessed.
Thank you Jesus, for your miraculous birth, innocent and flawless life, sacrificial death, and your endless blessings you shower upon my family.

Christmas, 2006---By Jodie

Special Reminders

Greetings Friends, Family, and Strangers...

Today I have realized something: Over the past few days, I have been so busy and surrounded with the earthly doings of the Christmas season. I have been shopping for those last minute gifts and stocking stuffers, I have been putting together a menu for our Christmas meal, and I have been desperately trying to keep our ornaments on our tree that our toddler would rather have in our garbage can (with that ever-so-cool flip-flop cover). Pretty common, right?

Well, I realized that I have completely dismissed and neglected the fact that although all of these things are 'normal' and almost ritual, they certainly are not what Christmas is all about, nor should they be what I fill my time with to the extent to which I have.


Yesterday while I was having fun playing with my daughter, I was taking pictures of her as I usually do. I'm actually pretty excited about the picture I get to share with all of you (above). But as I was uploading the picture to this blog, it hit me. WOW, am I blessed. And WOW, have I been missing it all along. I was all of a sudden overcome with an intense combination of emotions. As I attempted to swallow with the lump in my throat, I was reminded of a time not too long ago.

It was Christmas 2001 and I was grief-stricken with the (then) recent loss of my daughter, Savannah. Then my attention turned to the families that I have recently come to know (via family blogs): Matt, Ginny, and Eliot (http://mattandginny.blogspot.com/) and the Cox family (http://www.clairecox.blogspot.com/). They are going to experience that intense feeling of emptiness that I felt years ago.

And then my attention turned to families who haven't lost a child, but are missing their sons, daughters, husbands, and wives overseas because they are fighting for the very freedoms we are given through them because they are the brave men and women of our armed forces.

I was again reminded of these great individuals while visiting a dear friends blog site and was given this link to Mark Schultz' video "Letters From War" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYXaSAAMm0s). Please, take a moment to watch this video... you won't regret it and it may just put a little reminder in the back of your head (or front of your heart) what some may be experiencing this Christmas.

I hadn't intended for this blog posting to seem dismal, but I thought it would be very important to remind everyone as well as myself, that although I am happy, content, and incredibly blessed... some are not as fortunate this Christmas.
I am grateful that I live in a country that is free and I have both friends and strangers that are doing that dirty work through their service in the armed forces for me every day. I am happy because I have a wonderful husband. I am fortunate because I have a healthy baby girl. I am blessed because God's grace covers my family.

I pray for this family and yours... that we all can stop and remember while we are rushing off to Macy's to buy those last minute gifts and honking our car horns at the vehicle in front of us that may have hesitated at the green light... that the man or woman next to us may be missing the child that recently went to be with Jesus, or that individual in front of us in line just may be wishing their loved one wasn't in Iraq, but safe at home with them this Christmas.

May we ALL remember what is important this Christmas.... I am blessed by you!

The TRUE meaning of Christmas, taken from Matt and Ginny's blog, but more importantly, from the book of Luke:

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. -Luke 2

In His Glorious Name,
Jods