Love: My husband Jesse lying in my arms on our first Christmas morning together.
Christmas Eve candlelight service, the sanctuary dark except for the candles and the sweet sounds of "Silent Night." Worship on Christmas morning, unusually a Sunday, brunch at church and Christmas carols, a full house, communion. Behold! Christ seemed near, among us.
Giving makes the season. Raising funds for Heifer International, donating a new blanket to the OUR Center in the Warm & Cozy Drive, old sweaters to the Rotary, a book to the YMCA neighborhood party, and canned goods to the food pantry: Happy birthday, Jesus. I hope it helped You be less cold, hungry and lonely these dark winter nights.
Buying presents to please, surprise, delight. Filling Christmas stockings. Nothing anybody needed, except the cash, of course, which is so conveniently convertible for wish fulfillment and necessities. My husband's description of shopping for me for panties made me laugh unto tears. ("Never again!" he fumed.) I wore my new Christmas dress to church. Jesse said, "Everyone turned their heads to watch you go up the aisle in that red sweater dress." Ho, ho, ho.
Little Ones. Watching two-year old Rylan open his presents: the front loader was a hit--even with no alarms, sirens or flashing lights. (It took some searching to find a silent truck, for which his mother thanked me.) Meeting neices, great-grandchildren and dozens of relatives of my husband Christmas day, so cute in their holiday clothes.
Christmas cards. We sent out bundles to family and friends around the world. Our church friends from A-O got cards from Casa Esperanza in Nicaragua with handwritten notes. Friends from P-Z got cards from Walgreen's due to imminent postal deadlines. Incoming cards we taped to the front door.
Christmas greetings on line, photos, Facebook, text messages. Greetings shouted, hugs, kisses. A call to my mom in the nursing home. She was leaving for church and Christmas day with my brother. Surprised smiles from my sister-in-law Regina tonight finding us at her door bearing gifts.
"Snow, snow, snow, snow--SNOW!" The scene in "White Christmas" for which those are the lyrics. (E7 chord, anyone know?) Sadie bounding in the snow, her black tail flying while Jesse broke the snow blower on the ten inches of precip. Dark horses running in the twilight against a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains this Christmas night.
Only a few hours left to have a Merry Christmas, but plenty of time for a Happy New Year, everyone!