Christmas With Children

It's amazing the stages we go through when it comes to Christmas. As children, we hold the spirit of Christmas dear to us and often wonder what it is under the tree that is for us. Even in the many years when we really didn't have much growing up, Mom and Dad still made Christmas amazing. It was all about the time together, and I loved it.

Nowadays, with children as young as ours, Christmas has a different tune to it. Our children are too young to really understand what Christmas is about. Our son, Jeshua, was more interested in the gift that daddy forgot to wrap and didn't feel like dealing with on Christmas Eve. He got overwhelmed, really. I mean the poor kid had at least twenty gifts under the tree...and he's only 18 months old! Our other boy didn't have much...but one can't find many gifts for a three week old. :)

For me, though, it's not about the getting as much as the giving. I love to give gifts. I often don't do well with budgets for Christmas...I go over them. I remember that my dad would do that growing up and Mom would often feel that she didn't get enough for him. I now understand why dad did it. Because his wife deserved as much as he could spend. I had a budget for the stocking stuffers and I wanted to pamper my wife, so I went over twice our budget on that...Beth said that she felt that she didn't get enough for me because of what I got her, but it's not about that for me. I LOVE what she got for me. I loved spending the day playing games with her (when the kids were napping and in bed).

Christmas just ain't the same down here in Oklahoma. I want snow. It snowed some while I was down here...for one day and it was rained turned to snow...and nothing stayed, not even on the cars. :'(

But, with all that said, I will never forget the true Reason for the season. Christ's arrival on earth. God came to earth so that He could die for our sins. Jesus paid the ultimate price for my sins and Christmas is all about His arrival.

My dad would read the story of Christ's birth from the Bible each year before we opened gifts. I will do that, as well, with our kids. Let them know why we celebrate.

With all that said, having children changes the focus of Christmas. We spent the majority of our money on them (3/4) and only spent 1/4 of the total money on each other. :) Ever since I became a Daddy, I stopped really caring about my wants or needs, and focused solely on those of my son, and now sons. :) I've really babbled my way through this one. :) My mind is just all over the place today...sheesh! :)