Our Christmas

It has been such a beautiful season!  Of course we’ve been reading, reading, reading, and I crocheted right through Christas Eve, but it was so wonderfully *simple*, just like I like!  From us the boys each got a crocheted washcloth and other little items in their stockings, two books on cartooning for the oldest, a rock tumbler for the middle, and an action figure for the yougest.  Hazel’s stocking was crocheted, and she got a little wooden tabletop stove.  They got just *the perfect* amount of gifts from others to enjoy but not take away from the meaning of the season.  My darling got crocheted fingerless gloves and hat, and a volleyball set.  I got “The Office” Season 1 and a piece of Choxie~WOOHOOO!  ~smile~

Around the time we contemplated giving up our internet we started attending church again.  It’s a little house church that suits us perfectly right now, and it is *exactly* what we’re needing.  PTL!  We had a treat a couple of weekends ago~the little homechurch visited another church that used one of it’s services to put on Handel’s “Messiah” with a choir and orchestra.  What a TREAT!  I’m sorry to say that I had a week to prepare and MISSED valuable teaching opportunities.  We should have listened to the music daily to become familiar with it and learn a little about Handel, but it’s been so busy that I didn’t even *think* about it until we were sitting there listening, and I watched my children’s eyes glaze over for a time~LOL!  Ah well. 

I am STILL crocheting Christmas gifts and hope to finish real soon!  LOL!  and just for FUN, here’s how Christmas Day goes in our home:

We wake up, and everyone rushes downstairs.  The children each enjoy their stockings and then play with them while I prepare breakfast.  This year’s request was pancakes and chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream, among fruit and some other yummies.  After breakfast we read from Luke 2 and discuss the meaning of Christmas together~this ground has been worked all season!  Lastly, we open the presents under the tree.  This year we had lots of calls and visitors, so we didn’t finish until well after 1:00 PM!  and then we took a nap…  It was GREAT! 

Backtracking a bit~we also had many visitors Christmas Eve, and that was such a delight!  One neighbor shared an idea that I just adore.  When the time comes that she has a family, she doesn’t wanna do a tree.  She wants to do a nativity and put the presents around it~like after the wise men have visited.  LOVE IT!  Such a neat idea! 

I also must share about the many blessings my mailman brought during the season.  From crochet elves (one in POLAND!  Isn’t that NEAT?) and little dulcimer birdies and Ya Ya buds, our cup truly runneth over!  What a DELIGHT it is to get MAIL!  and I really am working on Thank You’s~y’all blessed me SO VERY MUCH as I struggled with life evaluations.  I have felt extremely overwhelmed for a good while, and I can only say I’m sure it’s of my own doing as our schedule just disintigrated and my priorities have been out of whack…. 

Okay, I’m off to crochet!  The children are allowed to enjoy their loot today~my Allen has done nothing but happily draw, draw, draw!  Jamie and Preston are making music from the little instruments that were in their stockings, and Hazel has done a bit of everything~cook, draw, sweep with her new little broom…  Have FUN with your families, y’all!  (((((HUGS)))))  sandi