{25 Days of Christmas} - Days 6 & 7

Our group of 20 has now all left the country...but yesterday we welcomed a new guest, Kelsey! 

When I was teaching at ECS - Kelsey was one of my students...I also mentored her and spent a lot of time with their family! She has an amazing heart, and desires to serve the Lord internationally! I'm praying we will have a great time serving together, but also having a little bit of fun :) 

The other day, Claudy and I were talking about going to the US for Christmas. He is happy about going to the US, but doesn't really get the whole -super, excited for Christmas thing. I was trying to share with him some of the things we will do, and the traditions my family has. I started telling him about one of my favorite traditions in the Nuest Household, STOCKINGS!!! When we were young, we would always sleep in the basement, on the pull-out couch, by the Christmas tree, and super fake fire-place (it had a light and tin can that spun and fake wood). In the morning we would wake up (I'm sure it was super-early, which is how the tradition started), and search for our stockings. Dad always hid them....now this isn't your typically, hiding behind the door, or open the closet and there it is. No...not my dad. They are always in the very back of a closet, hidden in some container, so you have to tear apart the whole house to find them. In our house, it never failed...Chad would find his right away and it would take Cory and I a little longer. Just a note to those of you that are still with me....this tradition still is happening!!! Last year - we all went searching for our stockings!

Anyway, I was explaining this awesome tradition to Claudy...he didn't get it. He didn't understand what a stocking was. So I had to explain the whole Santa Claus thing, etc... Anyway, he wasn't too impressed with our tradition. He also wasn't impressed that he too would have to participate in this tradition! 

Talking about these traditions with Claudy, reminded me, how important we need to focus on the real reasons for Christmas. The Birth of our Savior. One of my favorite Christmas songs, is "It's All About the Cross." The reason for His birth, was so He could be our Savior, so He could die on the cross for us! 
***Note: Please ignore the cartoon, but it was the best version I could find ***