McCaig Christmas

Our annual Christmas at the McCaigs. This year the boys are with their dad and Richard could not sneak away from the fireworks store so it was just me and the kids...but more on that later.  Judy and Neal always have the warmest home with delicious food and fun games and great conversation. We played the gift exchange with the dice and once again Dominic and I were stealing and swapping for the same gift just like last year!

Then the kids played the mittens game where they had to open a gift wearing oven mitts. Koby was victorious and took home the money!

Then we opened gifts and took the annual kids picture by the Christmas tree.

        

As we looked back at old pictures, I realized it had been 5 years since the boys and I joined the McCaig Christmases, but like I said earlier, always with Richard. This year it was just going to be me and that made me wonder if I had a place there, not because of anything the McCaig’s have ever done or said, they are wonderful, but because of the insecurities the enemy brings up in me knowing my weaknesses. Blended families are so hard and I try, probably too much so, to think through the feelings of others in each situation and I wasn’t sure if I belonged. The Lord silenced the enemy by quickly reminding me that He is showing me an earthly picture of Heaven. As I look at my extremely large extended family I can’t help but smile. I am living out what I prayed for almost a  decade ago. Although a blended family was not my initial prayer, the prayer that came next was of unity and love ...wow, did God provide! As I look at the Pippens and the Hollingsworths and the McCaigs and the Abbes I see a glimpse of Heaven. Each one of these families living out the spirit of adoption as we all do life together.  I know at a drop of a hat I could call any of these people in my tribe and they would be there for me! In Romans, it says we are all adopted in as children of God and I am so thankful for the earthly picture He has given me. He is always faithful!