Christmas Thoughts

December was a busy time for us as usual, so I don't have much time to post. That means I skip a lot of important stuff! On December 4th, I attended the Christmas Tea at my old/new church (complicated) and sat at my mom's beautiful table. It was nice to see many friends there and others too. I met the new pastor's wife and found her to be very friendly and warm. That following weekend was our annual Christmas parade, which meant lots of people at my parents' house. I always help out with the afterglow, so I found the week to be quite busy and by Saturday, I was pooped! Again, it was nice to catch up with friends and we always love the atmosphere at the parade with all the lights at night. We then celebrated my dad's birthday by attending the Christmas Program at church. I loved it...of course the kids were wonderful as usual, but the adult program was done Hee Haw style, complete with Rednecks. How fitting for our small little farming town! Many old friends welcomed us back and made us feel like family. And then there are others. :) Anyway, we met the new pastor and found him to be quite nice and welcoming. He found us after the service and made contact with us again. His wife remembered me from the tea, so again I found her to be kind and gracious. We have been contemplating coming back for awhile. We just have to make some new decisions about how we will react to certain situations and people. God is growing us, that's for sure. With His grace, we can overcome. So, after that nice program, we met up with my parents for a nice lunch and birthday celebration. The following Tuesday was our special Christmas concert the girls are in over at Warriner Hall. This was Nat's first time playing bass for the jazz band and Serena's first time playing tenor in the junior jazz band! I am always so happy to attend this concert, I can't even tell you! It's like going to Frankenmuth and doing our light tour all rolled into one! It's just a festive beautiful time of watching our young people entertain us with all their talents. I was so proud of our girls too. Nat just owned that bass! :) Steve and I presented the girls with bundles of roses after the performance. And then where do you go after? Pixie, of course with Grandma and Grandpa! So much fun. Christmas shopping and baking and candy making, wrapping, running, and spending took up many of the days after that! Finally we made it to Christmas Eve. Many of our family members couldn't make it this year, so our crowd was quite small. Just my sister and I, with her husband and my family at my parent's house. We managed to do a fun auction exchange anyway, played a lively game of Catchphrase, and enjoyed the chocolate fountain. It has been a nice shift since the emphasis is not on gifts so much as just having time to visit. Christmas day was wonderful with our girls, as it always has been. As they get older, I realize time is shorter and shorter, having our girls here at home with us under the tree. I appreciate and savor every second. Believe me. My most precious gift besides my family was the print the girls did of Angel for me. Since Steve's family was delaying Christmas for one day, we had the whole day to just do whatever we wanted! It was nice, just hanging out in our jammies for the day. On the day after Christmas, we went to the facility where Steve's 93 year old grandma is now living. The goal was to get family pictures with Grandma. All 32 of us! Steve's aunt agreed to photograph, but she asked us to help a bit, which we did. I got to know her a bit better and really enjoyed spending time with her. We also met our new nephew who is 10 months old, and he was a complete joy! Seeing him sit in Grandma's lap was nothing short of amazing. It was beyond poetic. Grandma is not who she used to be, but I saw her spark when that little baby was placed on her lap. She smiled. She waved to him, and responded in a way she hadn't for months. Years even. Steve's mom was amazed at how her mother perked up in the presence of her family. She even exclaimed, "I didn't know what a big family I had!" It was a gift, I'm sure, to all of us. The pictures took a couple hours and then we headed back to Steve's parent's home. Having so many nieces and nephews all doing such interesting things makes for a fun day! And having the new baby and new parents was a special addition to my day as well. What can I say about the Christmas season? It's all about LOVE. It's about miracles. It's about Family, and it's giving. Of yourself, your time, your gifts inside. Happy New Year...