The Parker Family: Christmas

This was the first Christmas since getting married in 1999 that Shane and I did not have to travel at Christmas! What a blessing! I can honestly say this was probably our most relaxing Christmas together so far!

On Christmas Eve, my family came over and we celebrated together. (Last year my family began a new tradition of having the adults each draw a name and only buy for that person. We still all get the kids gifts but this sure saves a lot of time and money since my family is so large. We each match the amount we spent on our person and we combine that money together. On Christmas Eve after opening all the gifts, we total up the money and decide on a way to use it for the Lord. This year we decided to send it through World Venture to help their missionaries buy supplies for those in the Congo who are being greatly affected by the genecide. - Please be praying for these individuals. Regardless of what the news is reporting, they are indeed suffering and being murdered each day! - I'm so glad our children will be growing up with this wonderful tradition of giving gifts for the Lord. Shane and I hope to add many more moments like this in our kids lives where they are taught to seek to meet the needs and wants of others before their own - of course this is an area Mom and Dad still need lots of work on too!)

Christmas morning we woke up and had a wonderful time together as a family. Wiley's big gift this year was a drum set (actually two drum sets but of course the first one was broken by lunch!) He has been having a blast with his drums and shows a lot of natural talent. I'm sure our neighbors have really loved us since then! That evening Shane's parents came over and we had our Christmas dinner together and opened gifts. Wiley had so much fun showing off his new musical instruments and playing with his "band", aka - Motty and Poppy. I'm not sure though if he had more fun playing with his new toys or Poppy's new golf "toys".