Merry Christmas to everyone! Last night we took Carter to Christmas Eve Mass with family and then headed to my aunt and uncle's house for a great dinner. Christmas is always a festive time of year but it easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and lose sight of the reason for Christmas. We all know that it is the celebration of the birth of baby Jesus and during this time we reflect on all that we have and all of the blessings that we have been given by his birth. As children growing up our hearts pounded with excitement that the birth of baby Jesus also meant that Santa would be making his ceremonial visit to our Christmas trees if we had been a good kid all year. As the years pass we go through many life experiences that change our perspective on everything and the Christmas Holiday suddenly evolves into something much more emotional, more personal, and more inspirational. Last night as Carter prepared for his first visit from Santa Katie and I held him as a family, kissed him good night and laid him in his crib. As a child I would have reflected on my list that I gave to Santa and if talking back to my parents, making fun of my sister or not doing more good things for others would affect the quantity of presents that Santa brought me. I would have said my prayers right before climbing into bed and anxiously awaited for the first hint of a.m. to race to the Christmas tree. Last night however was different. Ten months ago the Lord watched over my wife, our baby and me as little Carter came into this world. Last night I reflected on the first days and weeks of Carter's birth and the struggles that we went through. I thought about the importance of life, why we look to our faith in times of need and celebrate our faith through all of our blessings. On my way to bed I turned and looked at the tree, the silence of our home and felt an excitement for Christmas as a new Dad that I haven't felt since I was a kid. This time of year is about the birth of Jesus, it is about the family we love and it is about being there for one another throughout the year to bring blessings to others. Make that part of your life and no matter how difficult the struggle you will make it through.
Carter woke up at 8 am this morning and after wishing him a Merry Christmas he opened his presents from Santa. He got lots of fun toys that made him smile and after eating and opening presents he took a long nap. We had been having some trouble with his eating lately but after his nap he did something quite amazing for him. He ate two jars of baby food and was focused the entire time. It was a real relief and a lot of fun for us all. Here are some pictures from our day today and a few from last night. Merry Christmas to you all!! Love The Hoffman Family!!!
