December 26, 2013

Have your recovered? 

My last day of work for the year was on Monday. It was a two-fold strategy, work is slow this time of year, and each year I am more resolved that the Christmas season will not cause me stress or to get sick. I've had too many years of being stressed, exhausted and sick. Today, I took some time to "recover" from our celebrations. I slept way in. I won't tell you what time I actually finally crawled out of bed. Then after lunch I took another two hour nap. I woke up with a headache though. Snarl. I stretched for awhile and that seemed to help it some, but there is a twinge still lingering. Maybe I need another nap?? 

So, in-between the cheese balls, the dips, the chocolates, the actual Christmas dinner, the games, the movies and the naps, did we remember why the season was being celebrated? My husband did a good job during prayer time to take us there and helped us be thankful for the season. He read narrated quickly the Christmas story to our two year old grandson on Sunday night. Our "little guy" doesn't sit for too long, so the story went by pretty quickly, but they did stop to observe the various pop-up scenes in the book and my daughter reported that on Christmas morning they got him to say, "happy birthday Jesus" and they also read the Christmas story as a family with "little guy". He is going to grow up knowing who Jesus is. Our responsibility feels no greater than helping the younger generation understand why we exist and what life is really about. The world would have us think it is about us..about our wants, whims and wishes...but we all know, it really isn't. I did read an interesting commentary about Christmas yesterday...and they were saying..."Christmas IS about us"...the point was being made, "God loved us so much, he sent his son so that we could all live". So, in a sense, it is about us, if you look at it that way, but our job is to recognize why Jesus was born and to have a relationship with him and teach it to the younger ones. 

Can I get an amen? 

I took a bunch of pictures of our festivities. We celebrated Christmas with our children-only on this past Sunday night, then on Christmas Eve we told various family members and friends they could come over. Most of my family was here, and our new friends, Betsy and Allen. Then on Christmas day my family, and Betsy and Allen came back to our house for a more traditional Christmas dinner, we met at 4 and since most had to work today they left earlier than they did on Christmas Eve. Following will be pictures from the various celebrations. Nothing fancy, we have a very small house and with almost 20 people squeezing into our little cottage there wasn't much room to be fancy, but we had love and fun, so who cares about the fancy shmancy anyway?

Enjoy!

My parents serving themselves some food on Christmas Eve. 

Our son and son in law in deep discussion while waiting their turns in the food line. Our daughter is serving herself some delicious fruit kabobs. 

My dad, my great aunt, my daughter in law and son, we were unwrapping white elephant gifts. 

My beautiful niece, husband and mom.

The pile of white elephant gifts to choose from.

We didn't all fit on chairs, my beautiful sister was sitting on the floor and she is holding up her gift.

Betsy and Allen, our new friends...whom we have been enjoying so much. He has a fascinating business, he has chicken houses and sells eggs...like thousands of eggs per day. I wanna go see his operation sometime soon. 

Daughter in law, son, nephew (who shot a 12 point buck this season!), niece, and my husband. 

My mom making her selection. 

Our little guy getting some help from his father, unwrapping "another" gift. He received a ton of gifts this year. 

My lovely great aunt unwrapping her gift. She loves to be part of the commotion and we enjoy having her. She is slowing way down. It is sad to watch her life begin to "fade". She is 97 years old and she has told me on a number of occasions, "Oh, I hope I can just die in my sleep. I hope one morning I just won't wake up." She has been a widow for quite a number of years and her immediate family won't take care of her, so my parents have been providing a home for her the past couple of years. It is the Amish way not to let one of their own become homeless. It has been a challenge for my parents and sister to have her living with them, but they feel someone needs to be responsible and so they have taken her care upon their shoulders. My great aunt's church district also helps out some, especially with funds and also providing assistance to my parents as my parents request help.

Grandpa and grandson collaborating about some toy "little guy" just received. :)

My mom provided us all with a little treat for Christmas Day dinner. Little chocolate mice. They were cute as a button and the talk of the table for awhile, some of the tails were going one way or the other so we were discussing what moods the mice might be in. A conversation piece for sure. 

I was having issues yesterday with my pictures, so I am actually posting this a day later with less pictures than I had intended on sharing with you all. You get the gist, we had plenty of food and fellowship with family and friends over this Christmas season. 

I hope you did as well. 

Lue