1.03.2008

Maddie's First Christmas!











Ok, so I know I'm terribly late getting these photos posted, but things have been a bit crazy around our house lately. I turned 29 on December 12th...my last year in my twenties! Wild! Christmas came, like, a minute later and we had quite the social calendar, although Kurt and I joke that we were only invited to so many gatherings because we also happen to be Maddie's chauffeurs. Having nearly all of our extended family close by is such a blessing, but it also means a very busy holiday. Thankfully, we love all of our family and genuinely enjoy spending time with everyone. Of course, this year was especially fun with Madelyn in our midst. She was such a trooper and had smiles and coos for everyone. She was too young, obviously, to really get what was going on around her, but she was ultra alert and wide-eyed, taking in all of the faces, lights, presents, and food (she's going to eagerly welcome solid foods, we can just tell!).

All of the family and presents and decorations and treats were wonderful, as always, but having an infant really made this Christmas especially poignant for Kurt and me. After all, Christmas is all about babies, or one baby rather. I watched my daughter on Christmas Eve as she slept in my arms and imagined what it must've been like for Mary so many years ago...it wasn't at all difficult. We didn't have a manger or any barnyard animals at the Olmsted house (thank God), but the absolutely unconditional love and wonder and thankfulness you feel when you are holding your very own little child is transcendent of time, culture, race, class, and religion. For that reason, it's been the best Christmas we've had thus far.

We pray your holiday season was equally as wonderful, and best wishes for 2008!!

Much love,
Kim

1 comment:

Took said...

Beautiful post! And of course beautiful pics of Maddie (and the other people in the pics aren't so shabby either!)