christmas

It is over and it went to fast this year!
I had Sunday worship and the next day Christmas eve service and the next day Christmas itself with all the girls, grandkids, Dawn and Jason and Melanie over.
And now, we are getting ready to go to NW Ohio for one more Christmas with Lisa and kids and then Friday the wedding between Lisa and Harve.

The highlights -
Christmas Eve service that was packed. It made me feel so good to see so many people coming together to worship and to be together. We had cookies and punch afterward and people were just happy to be there.

Christmas day Chuck and I cleaned the house getting ready for everyone to come in the afternoon. And even that was pleasant for just the 2 of us. We also watched the movie "The Namesake". Wonderful. About an Indian couple and their marriage and life in America and their son Gogol. Gogol did not seem to understand or appreciate his family and their sacrifice for him until his father died suddenly. There was so much in the movie and this morning I watched some of the background and just marvel at the creativity of the director and everyone who put it together.

Christmas afternoon everyone came and it was bedlam but also wonderful. When everyone comes I think of my house as "shrinking." The kids were more interested in playing together than in opening gifts. They had done that in the morning and last night. Enough already.
Jax was very happy whopping people with wrapping paper tubes. But it was great. I would have moments of seeing conversations between adults and kids and feel blessed by the whole thing.

We snacked all afternoon and ate dinner and afterwards, of course, played games. Audrey got a game "chuzzle" in which you make something with modeling clay. That is the kind of thing I think I hate, but I actually liked it. And after that we played trivial pursuit, which I have not done in years - but with Dawn and Kacey on one team and Audrey and I on the other (and Jason helping everybody) it was a good and fun game and I think we actually won. (not that I am competitive :)

Altogether a great holiday and a blessing to me to be able to get everyone in one space with a minimal amount of tension.

This was the first time in years that I was with the girls on 'christmas - usually we do it on another day. And usually I go to a movie on Christmas day. But this year I went to the movie the next day - (today!) and saw JUNO - it was so good. I was touched by so much in it that I found myself in tears or near tears several times. The ads for this movie make you think that it is a sit com kind of thing - but actually the jokes cover a lot of hurt within this young pregnant teenage. I also like the music behind the story. It all was very true to life - and the dfficulty of being a teenager and being married and just living.
I recommend it !