When I was growing up my family would open gifts on Christmas Eve because my dad would work so his employees could have the morning off to spend with their families. He owned a service station and the company required that he be open 24/7.

My husbands family always opened gifts Christmas morning, so when we got married I talked him into letting us open one gift. Over the years I learned to enjoy the antipation of opening gifAts Christmas morning.

We do really enjoy having the family around but we have learned to keep it simple. Over the years we have also learned not to spendtoo much which has made the Christmas celerabtion more enjoyable.

One thing that my mom would do each year was set up a nativity scene on top of the piano which was an old upright player piano. My grandparents bought it and had the player taken out because they wantedtheir children to learn how to play it on there own. Anyway for the nativity scene was something that my brother and I really enjoyed helping with by building a hill for the shepherds and setting the wise men on the east end looking towards the star.

I am so thankful that God is a part of my life, which makes Christmas all that more special. We went to the Christmas Eve church program and it was so encouraging to know that we do not have to cower down to earthly fears but to hang on to his love, strength and promise of happiness and complete contentment with him in heaven. Praise God!