A Very Merry Christmas

This Christmas certainly is a special one.  Anticipating Sam's arrival in just a few weeks has us all excited!  The holidays, while I always love them regardless, can be tough when you're in the thick of the infertility battle.  Every year there for a while I wondered how many more Christmases we'd have to endure without a child of our own.  Again, I'm no Scrooge... I still loved every minute of every Christmas the hub and I have shared together, but I'd be lying if I said there hadn't been a hollow spot in my heart all those years.  So being pregnant during this season has been a true blessing.  There are such exciting things to come in the New Year.

But this Christmas is so much bigger than that...  It is extra meaningful this year because of the story of another sweet baby.  If you haven't had the privilege of reading about sweet Hallie Lynn Green, please take a quiet moment over the Christmas holidays to let her story into your heart.  Hallie's mom, Katie, and I have several mutual friends, but we've only met a couple of times - I'm not even sure she'd remember me.  But through her special little girl, she and her husband have touched SO many lives this Christmas.

I'm sure my hormones are half to blame, but I've shed more tears over this little angel and her family in the last week than I can remember.  Tears of sorrow, but also tears of joy.  Joy for the miracle of this little life that has touched countless souls over just a few short days.  Little Hallie came in to this world and did more in her sweet little life to further God's Kingdom than most people can hope for in a lifetime.  I hope you will take a moment to learn about her and pray over her sweet family.  You can follow her story here.  At tonight's Christmas Eve service we were reminded that Jesus was and is the light of the world.  How bright he shined through Hallie's life here.

[Short pause while I wipe my swollen eyes and blow my runny nose.]

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!  We are certainly enjoying our time together with family and friends this weekend.  Presents are wrapped and waiting, the family (and doggies) are all snug in their beds... Now I better get to sleep before Santa realizes I'm still up...  yikes!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!