The Christmas Rounds

This was a banner year for our family. Somehow without realizing it completely all of my kids grew up and Christmas felt like it was going to be parceled out from home-to-home. Each couple wanted to spend Christmas morning in their own home rather than together at Christy’s home. They wanted to make their own family traditions and celebrate as their own family unit- Something we had taught them was important (but…but…but that was when they were little - without thinking what that would mean for ME when they all grew up!!)

We started out with the older two grandkids at Christy’s. We had our traditional breakfast specialties and did the Santa thing with delights and squeals that still sneak out of a 12 year old's mouth when he isn’t paying attention. Then it was off to the new adventure. We made our next stop at Jon’s and Sarah's. It was so delightful to open the door and be welcomed by the warm fresh smell of something very yummy coming from the kitchen. I suddenly was hungry again! We enjoyed special delights that Sarah created - a cheese and spinach and egg thing to die for! This I could do each year!!! We shared gifts and some hot chocolate by the fire. Huck, our newest granddog ,was learning the pleasures of Christmas at home and showed Grandma his toys. (Hey this isn't so bad after all - being the Christmas morning travelers.) Now I was excited to go to Joe’s and Mindy's. We missed seeing her parents by 20 minutes but the package in the swing was all the greeting I needed! Oh boy, the hints of future Christmases with the Joe B. family were all bundled in a bright-eyed 13 pound lumberjack. We girls wore our jamies and took some photos.

Driving home for Christmas nap I relished the morning seeing ourchildren plant, fertilize and water their blossoming homes. Then it also occurred to me that in about 4 hours they would ALL be at my house - the root from which their homes were crafted and grafted with another. We enjoyed sharing with each other at my house....something we had done on Christmas mornings before.

So here's to our new family tradition of Christmas - an all day event of sharing gifts and love. I got on my knees and thanked the Lord for our family - for the idea of putting humankind in families, for the idea of creating the hunger for love and the satisfaction of being full of it. I thought that is why Jesus was sent, God hungered for love so much that He allowed humankind to have a choice to love Him or not. For those that do, He visits them each in their own "home" (heart) and shares with them His own ultimate Christmas gift - so that all of us can eternally spent our celebrations with the family of God - if we only choose to. I choose to. Do you?

Here is our Christmas – I hope in photo order.