Reflections on Our First Christmas

Tonight I'm wrapped up in a blanket with some hot apple cider. Nate is playing the Wii and our washing machine is working on our post-trip laundry. Nate and I are only three-fourths through our Christmas Travel Blitzkrieg (Once we're home for good, I'll write a nice, long post about our December!), but I can't help but feel a little reflective tonight.

For those of you who may not know, I am nostalgic and somewhat sentimental. I love taking trips down memory lane, especially when it comes to Nate. I remember the first time I saw Nate, the way the snow fell on the night he asked me to be his girlfriend, and the words he spoke to me on the night he asked me to be his wife. I love firsts and even more so, I love remembering firsts. My downfall, however, comes when I put undue pressure on particular experiences, experiences such as our first Christmas.

Due to certain situations, I knew this would not be an ideal Christmas, but in my mind I did picture us having a few more ornaments on our tree. I knew we would be busy, but I did think we would be able to get enough sleep to be rested during our traveling. I knew I was being exposed to a few more germs than usual due to working with hundreds of kids, but I was hopeful we'd stay healthy through the holidays.

But here we are with exactly two ornaments adorning our tree, slightly exhausted, and fighting off colds. An ideal first Christmas? Maybe not. But as I opened my eyes on Christmas morning, I rolled over and put my arm around my husband. And in that moment God reminded me of His goodness. He is good. I am blessed. And I'll choose to reflect on that for a while.