{Christmas Day}

This Christmas Dean and I decided we really wanted to simplify the whole gift giving aspect of the holiday. We really don't want to get out of hand when it comes to giving the kids presents, spending more money than necessary and we certainly don't want them to grow up expecting a ton of presents for Christmas. In a talk that was given at church the Sunday before Christmas, the lady explained an approach to gift giving that we really liked. Like the gifts given to the Savior and their meanings, this family received a few things from Santa and the parents gave their children 3 gifts: Something Joyful {gold}, something Needful {frankincense} and something Meaningful {myrrh}. We loved how this concept not only limited the number of gifts, but gave them purpose. {Unfortunately I don't remember the actual source for this idea} When we were out shopping with this idea in mind, we found that we didn't just buy a gift because it was what we could find, but really put some thought into them. While our girls may not have completely understood or appreciated it this year, we hope it will help us keep the true focus in the future!

Girls with their gifts from Santa:


Kylee and Lauren with their Meaningful Gifts, quilts made by their Mommy!:


Dean and Baby Bailey: