Christmas 2010 - A Little Different

Christmas this past year was a little different for Nathan and I. It is the first Christmas we spent in Philadelphia and without our families. We were so blessed to have Nathan's family visit for Thanksgiving, which was really exciting. It was a great comfort to show them our apartment and home, and the city in which we live. We went to see an Amish village and the National Christmas Center, both of which were tons of fun.

Christmas was a little more difficult. It was tough to be so far away from home and our families in MN. We worked a lot (gotta love the retail schedule) and didn't have a whole lot of energy or money to plan anything extravagant. We didn't do Christmas presents, except for one very small (almost accidental) gift that we each got for each other. :)

However, this year was also very special in a lot of ways. We took the time to drive around and look at Christmas lights, and of course, the list of food I wanted to make this year was a mile long. :) I settled on spiced ham, cheesy twiced baked potatoes, homemade dinner rolls, and a variety of homemade Christmas goodies for dessert.

While all of that was nice, we also learned some things this year. We had to set aside our material and selfish desires, and spend some time evaluating what was really important to us this year. While presents and traditions are fun, the hardest thing to give up this year was being with our families. Our Christmas was very low key and quiet, which gave us time to think about how grateful we are for God's blessings in our lives. Reflecting on the fact that Jesus came to die for us while we were still sinners, while we still struggle with prioritizing earthly things over Him, yet he still came to save us, that made all the difference this year. Even though we weren't with our families, what a blessing it is that God has put such wonderful people in our lives and granted us close enough relationships with them that it is hard to be apart; that really is a gift. I am grateful that God gave Nathan and I a Christmas this year to grow closer to Him and to each other, to cling to one another and enjoy being together. So, even though it was difficult, it was a good Christmas, and we are so blessed.

P.S. By far, my new favorite Christmas cookie recipe is Peppermint Snowballs.