Christmas Photo Shoot

Each year, as I try to compile our Christmas letter and photo to send out to our family and friends, I struggle with some of the common decisions: who's in the picture (whole family or just kids?); serious poses or fun-loving; matching outfits or whatever they want to wear; when are the kids all home (or... when is Matt around to join the photo); what to write in the letter; to make cards or just send the letter; do people really want to know what we've been up to for the past year?..... the questions are endless. In a spontaneous moment as we drove home from Thanksgiving travels this weekend, I realized it was going to be "now or never" to get the kids all in a picture at once, so we called in our friend, Kylie, who LOVES photography (and frankly is FABULOUS at it) and just decided to DO IT!
This was one of the fun poses, but there's even better ones, so you'll have to watch your mailbox for your copy of the official 2008 Hippen Christmas Picture (I will most likely break down and blog it anyway, ha).

Here is yet another fun picture of my three sons.... all happy and healthy, nice boys who, at that moment, melted my heart (of course 1/2 hour later they were bickering or yelling at each other, or sassing their parents, or crying for a bottle). But in this glimpse of time, joy filled their hearts, and mine too.

As you all step into the joyful season of Christmas, I wish you endless joy! Please remember that this is a season of hope, love, and blessings. We don't have to let the hurried schedules and the frantic rush to shop and wrap gifts take our focus away from the reason for the season... Christ's Birth! We are eternally blessed with the loving, unending grace of God who sent His son for our sake, saving us from our sins, and blessing us instead with eternal life in heaven.

Halleluiah! Christ is coming! Merry Christmas to you all!