How can I possibly communicate just how special this Christmas was. With the birth of our third child just days before Christmas it was a unique, special, and different holiday season for our family. Every Christmas season is a reminder of the importance of simply having family, but this season was an especially strong reminder.
Usually we spend the week of Christmas away from home and back with our family and friends in Ohio. The time is always sweet as we get to visit with people that we don’t see nearly often enough. I especially love Christmas because my older sister comes into town and I get so spend a bit of time with her – it is one of the few times I get to see her in the whole year. We stay for a week, spread our time around and visit with as many people as we can. It’s busy, crazy, and blessed. This year we didn’t get to do that and I could tell that our whole family was feeling the emotions of that loss.
Then, Monday December 19th our daughter was born and everything changed. We got to spend the first few days leading up to Christmas adjusting to having this little one in our lives. We got to bring her home, introduce the kids to their new little sister, and love all over her. We had family coming to visit with us, driving from Ohio to spend Christmas day and the days following with us. We’ve got still more coming to spend the days before New Year with us too. We got to plan and eat Christmas dinner at our home, open presents here, and enjoy our first holiday in Michigan. It was a season of first all around. We had our first Christmas in Michigan, and our first Christmas with our daughter. It was special.
It was interesting this season particularly as our family reflected on the incarnation. On Christmas Eve we read the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth and the story of His coming. As we did I looked at my daughter and marveled that Jesus came to us as a tiny little baby. A newborn is so precious and yet so vulnerable. Our Lord, the creator of the universe, the sovereign King, came into the world as a tiny little baby! How astounding, how wild and fascinating. How awesome, mysterious, and humbling. Our Lord came to be with us and came as one of us! Our precious little girl was a unique reminder of the meaning of Christmas.
Our family has grown this season. We have enjoyed having our sweet little girl and sharing Christmas with her. We have enjoyed having family and friends visit with us and share in the uniqueness of this holiday. The holidays are always about family but this season has been different. Our family has changed and we spent Christmas together in a way that was different from every other holiday season. And looking into the little face of our girl and reflecting on Jesus own birth we marveled that it was through a baby that God welcomed us into His family.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Dunham Family
Pastor Dave Online 
So happy you all are doing well and that your new little daughter is here. Merry Christmas! Vicki B