As it is...
It’s Christmas Eve. 9:00 a.m. There's a breakfast casserole baking in the oven. Folk in this house are still sleeping. John, Rachel, Josh C and Christina - all sleeping peacefully. I slept in also - until 7:40.
Josh is at Madelyn’s, Mandie and Dakota are home and will be here later today if all goes according to plan. Sarah and Brad and their bundles of joy remain in Florida, and Chris and Alex are there for a visit and will celebrate Christmas with them before returning home (earlier than expected apparently). We are all anxiously awaiting a response to Sarah’s request for a waiver of repayment on her contract so that they can return home. Be still my heart. I cannot tell a lie - I own that I am selfish, and want them near again. I will always do my best to encourage each of the kids to do what is best for their own family, even if that means living at a distance - great or small. But my deepest desire is to live out my life with them present for every holiday, every birthday, every possible opportunity to gather and love each other well. And even more, I pray that they will all stay close, they will love, encourage and support one another. I pray for an unbreakable bond between them that has it’s source in Christ’s love.
I’m listening to Michael Smith via iTunes, which I finally figured out a little bit this year. I’m listening to it on my rechargeable, portable speaker thanks to Mandie and Dakota gifting it to me for Christmas LAST year. :-) I love my speaker! I love my music. I’ve watched very little television this past year. And it continues to be less and less the more the news continues to cover the same old garbage.
We are under a winter weather advisory! It snowed sometime during the night and early morning yesterday. Much of it melted yesterday, but some remains. As I sit at the kitchen table typing this on my iPad, I think I see a few tiny flakes, perhaps more a mix of frozen rain and snow. :-0 Yes, I certainly do see it - there is a very small amount on the ground. Keokuk got plenty of snow. Photo to be included maybe???
I have not been walking for several weeks. Mostly time constraints and the fact that Rachel started Christmas break last week on Wednesday. How quickly time passes. We celebrated her 17 birthday at Peel Pizza and home with a bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes. It was simply delicious!!! She also had several friends join her for a long run of laser tag, taking advantage of their $25 unlimited game day. Pizza and soda on me.
At some point, I seemed to have had a mental or emotional breakthrough, because all the anxiety, frustration and discontentment I started out with got booted out. I decided I was not going to waste a Christmas by having a sucky attitude about things that in the end simply don’t matter at all. Thankfully, there has been a nice theme of posts, stories, conversations surrounding that very subject. I took them to heart, with a balanced view. The house is decorated only a small amount. We achieved our goal of having our first real tree in probably thirteen years. And Rachel, John and I went to cut it down ourselves, yes we did. So Rachel never can claim again that she has not had that opportunity :-)
I’m taking note of ideas and suggestions to hold on to for the coming years. I do want to do more, I just haven’t had the energy or enthusiasm this year. It’s actually been on the decline for several years. Transitioning from one perspective and attitude to another about Christmas, and how I envision our grown-up family experiencing it. It hasn’t helped that Sarah and Brad and all the grandchildren moved this past year and are not/will not be here to celebrate with us. God willing, this will be the only year that happens. But truly, only God knows what lies ahead.
The snow has picked up! I can see the flurries now.
Travis and Taylor took Leo and flew to Pennsylvania to see Grandma Pat and the PA crew. They will return today and join us tomorrow.
We decided to do some of the same things from last year’s Christmas. First, we exchanged names for gifts again. This time John and I also drew names. This is not something I expect will continue. I don’t like not buying for all our kids and their crew. Dirty Santa game is a go again. Also sharing the gift of filling up the stockings with everyone. Each of us contributes some small item to all the stockings. This has proven to be one of the best ideas ever! :-)
I DID NOT do the Blessing Bags this year. I figured there’s only so many olive oil decanters people can use (and dipping bowls LOL). I love sharing the bags and the spirit in making them with people, but this year I needed the sabbatical from it, and it has made a difference. Maybe I need to search for inspiration for a new Blessing Bag idea.
Josh is at Madelyn’s, Mandie and Dakota are home and will be here later today if all goes according to plan. Sarah and Brad and their bundles of joy remain in Florida, and Chris and Alex are there for a visit and will celebrate Christmas with them before returning home (earlier than expected apparently). We are all anxiously awaiting a response to Sarah’s request for a waiver of repayment on her contract so that they can return home. Be still my heart. I cannot tell a lie - I own that I am selfish, and want them near again. I will always do my best to encourage each of the kids to do what is best for their own family, even if that means living at a distance - great or small. But my deepest desire is to live out my life with them present for every holiday, every birthday, every possible opportunity to gather and love each other well. And even more, I pray that they will all stay close, they will love, encourage and support one another. I pray for an unbreakable bond between them that has it’s source in Christ’s love.
I’m listening to Michael Smith via iTunes, which I finally figured out a little bit this year. I’m listening to it on my rechargeable, portable speaker thanks to Mandie and Dakota gifting it to me for Christmas LAST year. :-) I love my speaker! I love my music. I’ve watched very little television this past year. And it continues to be less and less the more the news continues to cover the same old garbage.
We are under a winter weather advisory! It snowed sometime during the night and early morning yesterday. Much of it melted yesterday, but some remains. As I sit at the kitchen table typing this on my iPad, I think I see a few tiny flakes, perhaps more a mix of frozen rain and snow. :-0 Yes, I certainly do see it - there is a very small amount on the ground. Keokuk got plenty of snow. Photo to be included maybe???
I have not been walking for several weeks. Mostly time constraints and the fact that Rachel started Christmas break last week on Wednesday. How quickly time passes. We celebrated her 17 birthday at Peel Pizza and home with a bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes. It was simply delicious!!! She also had several friends join her for a long run of laser tag, taking advantage of their $25 unlimited game day. Pizza and soda on me.
At some point, I seemed to have had a mental or emotional breakthrough, because all the anxiety, frustration and discontentment I started out with got booted out. I decided I was not going to waste a Christmas by having a sucky attitude about things that in the end simply don’t matter at all. Thankfully, there has been a nice theme of posts, stories, conversations surrounding that very subject. I took them to heart, with a balanced view. The house is decorated only a small amount. We achieved our goal of having our first real tree in probably thirteen years. And Rachel, John and I went to cut it down ourselves, yes we did. So Rachel never can claim again that she has not had that opportunity :-)
I’m taking note of ideas and suggestions to hold on to for the coming years. I do want to do more, I just haven’t had the energy or enthusiasm this year. It’s actually been on the decline for several years. Transitioning from one perspective and attitude to another about Christmas, and how I envision our grown-up family experiencing it. It hasn’t helped that Sarah and Brad and all the grandchildren moved this past year and are not/will not be here to celebrate with us. God willing, this will be the only year that happens. But truly, only God knows what lies ahead.
The snow has picked up! I can see the flurries now.
Travis and Taylor took Leo and flew to Pennsylvania to see Grandma Pat and the PA crew. They will return today and join us tomorrow.
We decided to do some of the same things from last year’s Christmas. First, we exchanged names for gifts again. This time John and I also drew names. This is not something I expect will continue. I don’t like not buying for all our kids and their crew. Dirty Santa game is a go again. Also sharing the gift of filling up the stockings with everyone. Each of us contributes some small item to all the stockings. This has proven to be one of the best ideas ever! :-)
I DID NOT do the Blessing Bags this year. I figured there’s only so many olive oil decanters people can use (and dipping bowls LOL). I love sharing the bags and the spirit in making them with people, but this year I needed the sabbatical from it, and it has made a difference. Maybe I need to search for inspiration for a new Blessing Bag idea.
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