A VERY White Christmas

We are celebrating Christmas with Tim's family in Michigan. I am so out of my element up North. I have never seen so much snow. It snowed about a foot night before last, it is still snowing and there is a Winter Storm Watch for tonight. The fascinating part is that nothing is canceled! People open their garages to a wall of snow that they just back over and go. Crazy.

The temperature was -25 (wind chill) 2 days ago. It is suppose to be up into the 20s today and the boys are going sledding and tubing for the first time in their lives. They are so excited about it. When they are going to bed, they say..."Can we go sledding tomorrow, momma?". I wish I could upload some pictures but I didn't bring my memory card reader.

I love being at Tim's parent's house. They love the Lord so much. It feels so safe here. I have been in sweatpants since we got here. I am not sure my jeans will ever fit again after this week. ;) There are fires in the fireplaces, electric blankets, eggnog, homemade apple pie, maple-glazed coffee rings, and lots of conversations about the things of God and what He is doing in our lives.

Speaking of electric blankets... the first night we were here, Tim turned his electric blanket down to low (he cannot stand to be hot when he sleeps) and mine was on high. Well, what he didn't know was that the controllers were switched and he woke up in the middle of the night sweating from head to toe while I was snug as a bug. The next morning, he said, "I had the most miserable night's sleep! The controllers were switched for the electric blanket and I think mine was set on 'Corndog' setting"! I have laughed so much about that.

Right now, Tim is playing the player piano and the boys are playing kazoos. I am watching huge snow flakes falling and beautiful red and blue birds eat bird seed out of the bird feeder and from on top of the snow outside the kitchen window.

I can't believe God gave me such sweet in-laws. We rarely see them so it is always special when we do. They have been so loving to me since the first time Tim brought me here to meet them and get their stamp of approval. We got engaged on the drive home somewhere in Kentucky. It couldn't happen fast enough! We met just 3 months earlier. We married just 3 months later.

We hardly knew each other after we were married because it happened so fast and half of our dating time was spent on planning a big wedding. I didn't even know when Tim's birthday was after we were married when someone asked. We just knew we loved each other and that God was in this so we were blissfully married... and still are.

Tim's mom and dad have also been teaching us how to swing dance at night while the boys are sleeping and the snow is pouring down outside. There are candles in the windows. Its romantic and reminds me of the ending of a movie when they span out showing the people through the window. They are much better at swing than we are but I want to be able to dance with Tim at the little birthday party he is having for me next Sunday.

I miss my family. This is only the second time in my life I have been away from them at Christmas. I told my mom to tell jokes the whole time so no one will be too depressed without me ;). We do not take it for granted that our parents (and grandparents!) are still married and are Christians. I know that is a miracle and one that I am eternally grateful for.

There will be a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas Eve and three presents for each child on Christmas morning. Tim and I went out and bought their presents last night. We slid on ice toward an on-coming car on the way home. I imagined my kids orphaned during that 30 second slide. Ughhh. Thank you God for getting us back in the right lane!

I hope you all have a wonderful time with your families.

Merry Christmas!!!

May Jesus be exalted!!

Steph