Christmas Anticipation

We are getting down to the wire folks...15 days and counting til the joyous Christmas morning! Woot woot! But really the countdown we are doing here at our house is the countdown to go home! :)

Marc is working vigorously in his studies and has 4 more finals after today. I am so proud of him and how hard of a worker he is! Lately I have had a lot of time to think. I have been reminiscing on Christmas's past and how my perspective has changed...4 Christmas' ago It was just Marc and I. We were hard working students, living (what we thought) was the poor life but enjoying every moment.

 The next year we were in the same situation but we were seeing some light at the end of our tunnel. We were both one semester away from having our degrees and we were thinking about expanding our little family. We had some life changing experiences the biggest being not getting accepted to the 5 schools Marc had interviewed at. That was some tough stuff to swallow but we held out hope that we would get in later in the year. 

 We found out we were pregnant with Braxton (pure joy), started student teaching (pretty fun for Vegas standards), found out there were complications with Braxton (FEAR, sadness, hope, faith, peace), Braxton came (FEAR, sadness, HOPE, FAITH, PEACE), Marc got into every Dental school he applied to (Tough decisions), and then peace came when we were able to bring our sweet little baby home for the holidays! BEST GIFT EVER! Such a memorable Christmas! :)

 The next Christmas we were a little farther away from family (closer to others) and had a strong, funny, "healthy" Braxton and a little baby Millie on the way. A couple 5 hour drives and we were able to see all of our families and share memories with them once more. 

Now, fast forward a year (a quick one at that) and we are living smack dab in the middle of the country with our little family! It has taken me 4 years to realize that I have taken for granted having family right around the corner! We have great friends and new people we are meeting every day but FAMILY is what is most important! The people who helped us get through every tough time, the people that make you laugh until you can't breathe, and the people who will not judge you for your short comings.

 Family is what is important, the gospel linking us as a family unit is what is important, Christ sacrificing for us to return to be with our families for the eternities is what is important! I feel like I am the luckiest person in the world to have this knowledge and to have families that understand this truth as well. On Saturday, before the sun is up, our little family will be making our way back home. HOME! I love that I can say that. California first, Vegas, St. George, Cedar City, and then back down the chain. 

The greatest gift that Marc and I will have this year is being able to fly home so that our kids can be around those that love them most, so that we can continue where we left off in the family inside jokes, so that we can support those that may be going through the hardest trials of their lives, or may be at their highest of highs  seeming as nothing can take them down. For a little over two weeks we will get to be apart of the memories that we will talk about years from now.

 We LOVE our families and we love all of the support and principles they have taught us to mold us into the people we are today.  Christmas truly brings families together and it is the most wonderful time of the year! We are coming family! :)  Love you all!