December 25

Merry Christmas! It was (literally) a day of sunshine and rainbows and showers and clouds. 

But other than the volatile weather, it was a largely typical California Christmas at the Wight house. The kiddos arranged --via group chat message that I could see-- to wake me up at 8 AM, so they all trooped into our room and encouraged me to get out of bed. A glance out the window revealed a rainbow arching its way across the sky, so we all took a moment to admire its colorful majesty.

After I Keurig-and-Coffee Mate'd my coffee and secured a cinnamon roll, I settled into the living room to begin the stocking reveals and gift opening. We always take a few hours to get through the process, thanks to the laughter that often erupts (like today's giggles over Brady's Sigma Claus and Isaac's 67 t-shirts).

Adam made a Hickory Farms charcuterie board house (fancy!) for lunch so we munched on that while going about our own activities for a few hours. Dinner was garlic-infused pot roast with carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes eaten from the good china using the good silverware. And then this evening, post-meal, we settled into the family room and watched "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas" and "The Muppet Christmas Carol."

So that's what we did today. All of the fun presents exchanged and family time and traditions are truly wonderful. I enjoy and am grateful for them. But Jesus... the older I get, the more thankful I am for Jesus. Because of the work that He began on Christmas, I'll see my sweet Logan again. Some say that the grief of losing a child never goes away, but because of Jesus, I know there's an expiration date on mine. And knowing that I won't always exist in a state of "I wish he were here" is a blessing.

So today, I am grateful for Christmas. For the fun time with my much-adored and loved family, yes. For the gifts and the laughter and the time to relax, yes. But for Jesus most of all.