Yes, another Christmas post!

Once again I'd like to talk about Christmas - lol! It just makes me feel so warm and happy inside (no, seriously!) I don't care who complains to the ACLU or what laws are put in place I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS celebrate Christmas, and say Merry Christmas to every stranger I see (effective the day after Thanksgiving every year)! It makes my heart sad that it is becoming a 'battle' to celebrate CHRISTmas! I work for a large corporation and they chose not to put up a single decoration for it this year as it is becoming a quote "HR issue" to decorate for the holidays. Last year they did a Winter Wonderland theme so that no one was offended...this year - nothing at all. Not a single mention, party, Christmas gift (much less Christmas bonus). Is the economy in a slump? Absolutely. But since our department just spent a TON of money on 16 plasma screens for the building, could we not spend a few hundred on some Christmas decorations? I still like the people I work with and my boss and what I do and this job is a blessing, no doubt. But this whole ignore Christmas but celebrate 'Pride Day' really has me a little bit sad. Anyway, enough of that!

I usually send out Christmas cards and this year I was planning on just sending the Olan Mills disaster card. But the more I thought about it, I wanted to really take this chance to thank all of those who have prayed (and continue to pray) for Avery. So I decided to write a Christmas letter...and by the end of it you can definitely tell that I am a preachers daughter. Yes, I admit - it did get pretty corny but I really meant everything that was said. I sent out over 50 but I still think of someone every day that wasn't on the list. And since I'm out of the pretty paper and pretty envelopes and seals and Christmas return address labels and pictures of Avery and time - I am not sending anymore. But I did want to share it my Bloggy friends. So here goes!

Reeves Christmas Letter 2008:

Merry Christmas!

Wow, what a miraculous year it has been in the Reeves household! As you well know, on January 21st we welcomed Avery Grace into the world. During those first 58 days in the NICU we would estimate that thousands upon thousands of prayers were sent up for her by our family, friends and even strangers. From Canada to Tennessee to right here in West Monroe, people heard about Avery’s story and they prayed.

While you were there praying, we were watching miracles – both large and small – happen before our eyes. We know there are many more that we never even knew about. This is because we serve a great God. A God that answers prayer. During 2008, we have watched our very sick 2 pound little girl turn into a 17 lb princess. (By the way, if you happen to meet Avery, please don’t mention to her that she is not a real princess – we are trying to decide the right time to break the news!)

The changes that can happen in just a short year are quite amazing. We could’ve never imagined what was ahead for the year 2008. We have had some of the saddest moments and definitely the happiest moments of our life. We have been scared of the possibilities and encouraged by the actualities. One thing has remained: we have always felt the warmth of being nestled tightly in His hands.

We have so many things to thank each one of you for. I wish I had the time and the memory and the space on this page to list every single one of them. But please know that each time you encouraged us, visited us, sent gifts, brought food, prayed with us and prayed for us was deeply and greatly appreciated. We look forward to the day that our little girl is old enough and her immune system is strong enough to get to meet and personally thank all of those who have prayed for her so many times.

Avery is a happy, healthy, absolutely beautiful little girl (ahem, princess). She loves squash and sweet potatoes and is not very fond of green beans. Her favorite toys are the remote control, cell phone and anything else that she is not supposed to play with. Her newest trick is crawling, she is getting very fast and these days we do not dare take our eyes off of her! But who wants too, anyway? She is weighing in at a whopping 17 lbs! She is catching up quite quickly and we are so proud!

We wanted to write each of you this Christmas letter to remind you of the miracles that do still come true. This year has been a tough year in America. Things seem so uncertain and the future looks very bleak. I encourage you to find the small miracles happening all around you. Enjoy smelling a Christmas tree, singing a Christmas carol and sitting down with a cup of hot cocoa. Take the time to relax. Again, thank you very much for your prayers and concern for our family. We happily accept your continued prayers as well! May you and your family have a wonderful, blessed Christmas. May you take the time to sit and remember just why we celebrate this time of year. Once upon a time there was a miracle baby. His name is Jesus. Because of Him we have hope and we will always have hope. He is still on the throne. Happy Birthday Jesus!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Charlie, Casey & Avery Reeves

And now a few CHRISTMAS pictures!

Nothing better than Granny's hot cocoa with Christmas shaped marshmallows!

Looks like someone is excited about Christmas...less than a week away!