Christmas

It was wonderful. Lots of family and friends to celebrate with us. This year we did not travel anywhere, but Jason's mom and her husband came and stayed with us and joined in the Hotze Christmas Craziness. My friend, Molly, also came.

Abram started it off by showing one of his new moves . . . the splits. The only picture of all five of them. Next year . . . EIGHT!

Abram got a garbage truck!

One of the first presents someone opened was in a big box of packing peanuts. Greysen and Abram were in heaven. They sat in that box and played for so long. Just yesterday my dad told me his favorite part of Christmas was "two boys in a box of peanuts." It was pretty cute.

Trying on Grey's fireman hat.The peanuts made for great things to load and dump with Abram's new diggers.Abram and Greysen went through a stage a few months ago where they usually only fought when they were together. Not any more. They are like two peas in a pod and follow each other around. They love to do what the other one is doing . . . such as hiding under the dessert table! Crazy Uncle wearing Greysen's fireman goggles!Brady and Uncle J

Jason's mom made the girls adorable hats! Yes, that would be my dad. Again, the goggles made an appearance. But not on the little boy who got them as a gift! Welcome to my family.

The siblings.

After we opened presents, my mom was bound and determined to go sledding. So, all the guys, the kids and mom went. Kate and I went later to "take pictures."

We did take pictures, but we also got in on the sledding action. It was SO FUN! I have not gone sledding for way over a decade. Even the little monkey went sledding . . . and liked it.Kate was H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S on her first ride down. She hit two unexpected bumps (going off the edge of the sand bunker -we were at the Huxley golf course) and looked like she was riding a horse, flapping her arms like they were holding reigns. And then she landed like this. Hysterical!

Uncle and Brady getting ready to go down.

Miss bundled-up-Mya Kate.

Sydney was too cold and back home by the time we go there. And Greysen was sleeping. We all decided sledding will definitely become an annual Christmas tradition (as long as there is snow!).

All-in-all, it was a wonderful Christmas!

His Name: A Christmas Poem

He lay in the straw, for he hadn’t a bed
No pillow on which to lay his precious head
He smelled of the livestock, and was covered in grime
There was no telling when he would bathe the next time

He was born in a world that didn’t want him around
And he ached with a hunger as he lay on the ground
He cried out in the night, but did anyone hear?
Did anyone care that he lived in such fear?

Men came to visit, they brought gifts from afar
They hailed him as great and they called him a star
For a few days they spent every moment with him
But they left just the same and weren’t heard from again

Who will he become as this boy starts to grow?
Will he rule a great kingdom, will great wealth he bestow?
He has so much love that he’s wanting to give
But no one will have him, he has no place to live


We know of this boy, we see where he stays
But we pay no attention, our own lives in a haze
We feel in our hearts a tug to take this boy in
But our favorite show’s on and the phone rings again

We get so caught up in our own pompous gains
That we fail to give back, we forget of God’s plans
Our lives are no greater than this boy or his friends
God created us all to be with Him in the end

During this Christmas season, don’t forget of this lad
He is cold and he’s lonely, and he yearns for a dad
His mother took off and he still feels the shame
But his legacy is love, and orphan is his name

Tony Stewart

All They Really Want for Christmas

Okay, I know this song is about five years old. But, clearly this song means a lot more this year. You should watch the video to listen to it. (I pasted the lyrics at the bottom of this post.) I was decorating cookies with my nieces most of the day yesterday and I made Mya keep repeating the CD this song is on. I've listened to it more than five times today. And of course I can't listen to this song without my eyes filling up with tears!

I have some more thoughts . . . but you need to watch/listen to the song first:

I love this song because it allows you to think about life - especially at Christmas - from the perspective of an orphan with no family.

Can you imagine what it would be like to long for a family? Can you imagine the pain of that kind of loneliness? Can you imagine wanting to ask someone to help you find a family but knowing it has never worked before?

I've realized lately that the reason I nearly bawl my eyes out any time I hear about the plight of orphans is not just that they are lonely and longing to belong to a family. It is not because they are hopeless.

The plight of orphans tears me apart because there IS a way for them to have a family.

The way is ADOPTION.

Yes, adoption is hard. Yes, adoption causes you to have to give up the comfortable picture you have of your family and fork out all the money you have (and don't have!). But, God loves to provide all that you need. He is waiting to come through. And He loves to provide JOY. There is so much joy in doing something that God cares deeply about - even though it is hard.

While I have already experienced a ton of joy (along with gigantic fears, too) in following God down the path of adoption in the past few months, yesterday I was caught up in a different kind of joy.

The joy of knowing that I get to be the MOM to three kids who, if asked, would only want one thing this Christmas . . . a family.

To be given the privilege by God to give three orphans what their little hearts long for is an inexpressible kind of joy. Granted, it is not the kind of joy that can sustain the trials that are to come (meaning, don't adopt just to get warm, fuzzy feelings). But, this joy is a gift that I am treasuring right now.

"All I Really Want For Christmas" Lyrics:
Well, I don't know if you remember me or not
I'm one of the kids they brought in from the home
I was the red-haired boy in an old, green flannel shirt
You may not have seen me, I was standing off alone

I didn't come and talk to you 'cause that's never worked before
And you'll probably never see this letter, anyway
But just in case there's something you can do to help me out
I'll ask you one more time

All I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose, shoulders to ride on if I win
There's so much I could ask for, but there's just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas is a family

Well, I guess I should go ahead and tell you now
If it's really true about that list you have
Somehow I always seem to end up in a fight
But I'm really trying hard not to be bad

But maybe if I had a brother or a dad to wrestle with
Maybe they could teach me how to get along
And from everything I've heard, it sounds like the greatest gift on earth
Would be a mom

All I want for Christmas is someone who'll be here
To sing me happy birthday for the next 100 years
And It's okay if they're not perfect or even if they're a little broken
That's alright, 'Cause so am I

Well, I guess I should go, it's almost time for bed
Maybe next time I write you I'll be at home

'Cause all I really want for Christmas is someone to tuck me in
Tell me I'll never be alone, someone whose love will never end
Of all that I could ask for, well, there's just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas is a family