Play at your own risk.

Every day after I pick up the mail, Luke sits on our dining room table to open up each card and look at all of the beautiful families. He tells me who all the children are and what they are doing. We received a card from my good friend with her children on Santa's lap and he shouted, "There is Mia and that is Colin. Mom, who is that furry thing?" Now, Luke knows that Santa is pretend (we told him) and because of this I am guessing he was not able to link that idea to a real person. So attention all moms.....if you have small children you may want to steer clear of us around the holiday months!

Now, Matt and I discussed the idea of Santa and Christmas long before we had children and what that means has slowly evolved over the years. This year Matt was forwarded the article below and we were pleasantly shocked to find out that there is a Christian movement under way that aligns with our views about Christmas, soo cool.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1947590,00.html?xid=rss-fullnation-yahoo

What I particularly love, is that we have had so many wonderful role models that have inspired us to be true givers. As a child, I specifically remember each year my grandparents giving a cow to a farming family in South America from each grandchild. I thought it was neat then but now understand the true power of what giving up one more toy for my child could mean to another family. Matt was raised in a similar way. His mother has shared with me countless stories of giving....how her and Pax chased a family, that was boarding a bus with all of their belongings, down the highway and emptied out their pockes to help them. Or how she would put money in an envelope and hand it to a family at the store that would need it. She says, "You can't give to everyone but you will know when you should." What a great spirit to keep in your heart all year long.

I do love the holidays~ the feelings of love, family and giving are abundant. Merry Christmas!