After our morning with the immediate family, we headed into Chicago to celebrate Christmas with the Giere clan. If there were ever grandparents who love their grandkids to pieces, here they are.

Once the kids filled their bellies and opened their presents, they had some energy to burn. Thankfully, the city of Chicago had just opened a new park down the street from my parents’ home. The kids had a blast running and sliding and swinging to their hearts’ content.

It really is a unique playground, at least according to suburban standards. As you look beyond the playground equipment, you see the Chicago skyline packed with skyscrapers.

The kids spotted green space and exclaimed with delight, “Let’s run!”

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)

We began Christmas morning by lighting the center candle of our advent wreath.

We had had the stockings hung on the fireplace mantle since Thanksgiving, and whenever we mentioned the word stocking or presents, Molly would trot over to her own stocking and sniff it. On Christmas morning, she was quite anxious to see what toys and treats awaited her in her stocking.

She was not disappointed.

The kids are learning the joy of giving and planned for weeks what gifts they wanted to give each other. It warmed my heart to hear one of them say that he was more excited to watch his siblings open the gifts he gave them than to open presents himself.

They gave in proportion to how much cash they had, so the bigger kids were able to spend a little more, while the little kids made a trip to the dollar store to pick out their gifts.

Ruthie giggled every time she thought about Jake putting on the gift she got for him.  She was not disappointed.

Derek put some thought and creativity in to this on for Jake.  He had a topographic map printed at Costco of the mountains they visited together last summer.

After all was said and done, there was a hush around the house as the boys all sat reading the new comic books.