Merry Christmas! It is with a full heart that I wish you and your family a glorious and significant day. This year’s holiday is especially meaningful for our little family as we celebrate Sloan’s first Christmas. To say the least, it is a joyful morning in the Reser household.

Make sure to take plenty of time today to reflect on the true meaning of this holiday. For God so loved the world that he sent his only son to be with us. And while he was sent to be the Prince of Peace, he was not given an entrance into the world that many of us would deem fit for royalty. Instead, Jesus had humble beginnings, his mom giving birth to him in a manger.

Take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas today.

As we celebrate Christmas today, let’s remember the humble roots of Jesus Christ. This time of year, it is easy to get caught up in everything from presents to good food to Santa Claus. While all of this is fine, we should be mindful not to let it overcome our holiday. Rather, we should practice humility as we accept that God gave us an extraordinary gift that we truly didn’t deserve.

I will have plenty of time to reflect on this later today as I fly across the country. Sidney, Sloan, and I will be departing for Spokane this afternoon. We are overjoyed to spend a portion of our holiday season with our west coast family.

As is usually the case, it will be a long trek. We will drive to Charleston to take a non-stop flight to Seattle. We will then hop on a plane that will take us the short distance to Spokane. Sloan was perfect when she completed this journey over five months ago, but there is a big difference between a 4-month-old and a 9-month-old. We hope she does okay.

Once again, Merry Christmas! Have a fulfilling day. Next time I write to you guys I will be in a winter wonderland. Don’t Blink.