Christmas festivities

Well, I made it. We got home last night after spending 6 days in Utah with my in-laws and it feels good to be home. I always wish my visits were longer, but at the same time it always feels so great when you get home. I am particularly looking forward to eating normal food again. The holiday treats are gone and I'm headed to the grocery store soon to stock up on veggies and other essentials. I weighed in this morning and I was shocked to see only a 1 pound gain. Haven't done any measurements yet, but I'm thinking I've just experienced a Christmas miracle. My personal goal this week was to continue filling my dinner plate with veggies; I made myself eat them first so I wouldn't be able to fill up as much on the other stuff. I limited my potatoes, had lots of salad, fruit and meat (which is surprisingly lower calorie than I would have thought), and still had a fair share of desserts, but overall I think I survived Christmas!

On a different note, I want to share my favorite part of my Christmas holiday. My family always acts out the nativity story, complete with costumes and music. The little kids dress up as sheep and angels, my brother-in-laws as wise men, and this year my hubby and I were Mary and Joseph because our daughter is the youngest grandchild, so she got to be baby Jesus. Amidst the chaos that comes with a full family of 25+, it was so wonderful to read the story of Christ's birth and sing all the Christmas songs it the hymnbook. One of my very favorite songs is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and it always lifts my spirit. It is so easy to become discouraged, especially with all the evil in the world, but I was reminded that Christ can heal and can unite families. Good will conquer over evil, no matter how desperate the times seem. I'm grateful for this time of year where I can be reminded of the good in the world and the reason I'll be able to live with my family forever.

Thanks to all of you for your encouraging posts!