I had a nearly catastrophic "melted chocolate" incident on Christmas Eve day (the first day I do any Christmas baking) that kept me home from our first service on Christmas Eve. I will never let that happen again; missing the children's pageant made me so sad!
Still a Christmas Eve service with all six of us sitting together in a row, the stringed instruments playing Carols, walking forward for Communion in my stocking feet because I gave up trying to wear my fancy Christmas Eve high heels, lighting candles and blessing each other with an a Capella Silent Night. Oh the beauty....
Christmas Eve with the six of us and the beginning of the Feast!
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| Natalie added a couple of her own creations to this year's Christmas Feast! |
No matter how many changes we've been through the past two years, we've managed to hold on to a couple of constants. First thing Christmas morning means the kids wake us up and then hang out together in a bedroom laughing and singing carols. And they still try to hurry us up to get the day started and we still take our sweet old time building a fire, lighting candles and taking delight in their together-ness. Christmas morning begins when they walk down the stairs together.
My mama's heart takes it all in with deep gratefulness.
Next we read Luke 2 and place the nativity figures.
Even though December 6 is officially Saint Nicholas' day, he always manages to leave a letter and a few gifts for us on Christmas Day. This year -- for the first time in 22 Christmases -- we forgot to leave him cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. He managed to find a beverage for himself and now we all know what he's really looking for each year!
We had the privilege of adding some new friends to this year's feast. First of all, let me introduce Brian's Christmas gift, an addition to our family....
Leopold McGarry -- aka, Leo -- the Beagle/Border Collie we rescued via the Humane Society. He's looking kind of sober with that handsome bow, don't you think? (click here to see his namesake)
I'm sad I didn't get a photo of Alex and his girlfriend, but we're glad she could join us! Two of Andrew's roommates who were away from home at Christmas joined us too. This makes game-playing more fun -- and dinner clean up more quick!
By the end of the night, all five housemates showed up at the house (sort of like the company that kept ringing Bilbo Baggins' doorbell). We felt pretty lucky to get to give them all Christmas greetings.
The rest of the twelve days of Christmas we did a lot of un-photoworthy resting, movie-watching, book-reading, record-listening, game-playing, giftcard-shopping, friend-visiting and such. More eating, too, of course.
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| New Year's Eve |
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| girls sneak a quick trip to see Les Miserables |
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| San Antonio River Walk & a family viewing of The Hobbit |
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Now we turn the corner to celebrate the Epiphany -- the peoples of all the earth being introduced to the Savior of all the nations. Naturally, this means we'll eat cake and light gobs of candles. Bring the wisemen to Jesus and pray over the doorposts of our home for God's blessing as we come and go out, bearing HIs image among our neighbors and communities and all nations.
A happy Twelfth Night and blessed Epiphany to you, dear ones.
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