Happily Ever Williams: Christmas is my favorite time of year!

I absolutely LOVE Christmas! It is my favorite time of the year!!

This year was a little different than years past. This year, we didn't get a lot of "gifts", but a few BIG gifts. My sweet parents gave us money to buy our TV, paid part of the downpayment on our house, and signed the loan with us, so I consider that our Christmas gift from my family. It is definitely a GREAT gift that I am so thankful for!! Kip's parents bought us a California king size bed in the Fall, so that was our Christmas from them. Not like the usual Christmas where we get a lot of small gifts like clothes, shoes, etc. I was more than happy with Christmas this year. It made it more special to not worry about what gifts I will get, but what gifts I was giving. I enjoy giving gifts so much that sometimes I don't want to wait! HaHa! I did get a few things and I am thankful for that, but it was a very special Christmas...knowing it was the last Christmas Kip & I would spend as a "not married" couple. It made me look forward to when we do have children one day! I really want to do that 3 gift thing with our kids at Christmas for different reasons: Mainly to help them to learn the TRUE meaning of Christmas and to keep them from the whole I WANT, I WANT, I WANT. It is also a good way to save money. I have seen many parents lately doing the need, want, and wear thing. You get them something they need, something they want, and something they can wear. I also want to do a stocking for them too, because my parents always gave us a stocking filled with candy and other goodies! I think it is a really need idea to do that...but I may change my mind when we have kids and want to get them everything I see (maybe not though...can't blow money!).

Here are some pictures from our last "single" Christmas!

Every year, our youth at church have a Dinner Theater where they perform their Christmas musical. We have a great sit down meal, served by the youth. It is a wonderful time of fun and fellowship with our church family. This is a special thing to Kip & I because we met at church and began dating only a few days after the first Dinner Theater we ever had. It brings back some awesome memories!

We go to the Falls every year at Christmastime. The lights are so pretty and the Falls look beautiful, especially after it rains! This is a special place for us-we got engaged here last year!-, and for our friends, The Carr's. They went on their first date at the Falls with us in 2009 (??? - I think). We usually go with them every year, except last year when we went with Clai and Jillian...which is a special place for them as well! They got engaged at the Falls during Christmastime!