We have had a musical and "churchy" season. Like most other families we know we are spread far and wide over holidays. I never lived very close to my aunts and uncles but did to my grandparents. So just as Ross' and my parents did, we celebrate holidays not on the actual day or maybe even the month and it works!!! I learned from both of our parents the greatest lesson and that was not to lay a guilt trip on your children about "stuff" like holidays - or at least try my best not to!
Daughter Jenny and granddaughter Rooke this week in California. Being a 911 dispatcher with long-term employees make it impossible to get Christmas Day off. So phone, facebook, email work just fine.
Son Chris and grandson Alex all ready for an all-man father-son event in Duluth Christmas Eve day. Very handsome I must say. Amy's mom lives in Duluth so we share time and events as we can.
Granddaughter Rooke with all the My Little Ponies that Jenny crocheted for her for Christmas. I used to crochet a whole lot of things and tried something last night just for fun...a tiny doll hat - and Jenny congratulated me and it felt good.
Our first Christmas was in Oklahoma - 1972 and it was nice and warm. I think new cameras are much better than old. However, one can clearly see Ross' red polyester pants and red plaid jacket and my lovely polyester plaid bell-bottoms. Man, we were hotties and he was 29 and I was 25 years old!
Me in the Jones' yard right next to the holly bush with one of my favorite women ever - Ross' Mom Dorothy. We had a great Mutual Admiration Society and I was blessed.
Ross and I went to Lessons and Carols at the Episcopal Cathedral where we were married. We sat in the 5th row from the front and I looked at it and thought how this altar looks exactly the same as 1972 but we sure don't and it must be that Cathedrals age much more gracefully than people. It was a lovely service and we had dinner across the park and could look at the church from our window table - date night for the oldsters.
So in two days we have our holiday with Chris, Amy, Alex and Lucy and tonight like last year we went to a nice restaurant with a friend for dinner. This morning we went to an early movie and when we came out the parking lot was packed with cars. One guys says to us "Merry Christmas - this is the fun thing to do when the kids and grandkids aren't in town" - we agreed.
So to count our blessings which are many: Four years ago this night Amy had the seizure that led to the diagnosis of a brain tumor. How life changes in just seconds but how blessed we have been in so many ways.
Prayer for this day from my Upper Room prayer book Thought for the Day: Today I will celebrate the presence of Christ in my life!
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