well almost. the only minor thing was that during augustine's choir performance olive was a total psycho hitting and squirming and just freaking out. but this was our own fault because in our hustle and bustle to get everything done, frosted, packed, and ready we um kinda forgot to feed the family dinner before we left to go to the church. the performance was at like 7 and ended at 8 at which time olive was M E L T I N G so we had to leave early unfortunately. but the service itself was great. it was carols and lessons in an old anglican style which i really liked. oh and anything candlelit is better. augustine was very proud following his choir performance. i would have been much more excited had i not had a toddler on my lap freaking out during it. but he did very well and i was proud.
the kids (and us too) of course made out like bandits as far as gifts go. much too much to list but my favorite is a dollhouse that was mine as a child and is now being used by them. they really are having a ball with it. funny thing ill mention - i asked for another baking stone for christmas as i've got only (!) one and when i bake i usually end up having to keep the oven on for 3-4 hours to get everything done so i figured if i had another one i'd cut that time down drastically. well i got THREE of them! this year was definitely the christmas of baking stuff for me. besides the aforementioned i got a sweet garlic press, zester, measuring cups, swanky meat thermometer, apron, mini muffin tin, cookie cutters, a pressure cooker (CANNING whoo hoo!) and on and on. it was almost comical. davids favorite gift of course was the 7 things of ice cream i put in the freezer for him.
anyways, it was a great christmas. we got to spend time with our blood families and spiritual family too. the only "complaint" i have is that it was not a white christmas here in central ohio. boo. i might have gained 5 lbs this season eating all of the goodies *cough*my mother in laws 7 layer bars*cough*
we have so so much to be thankful for. first, salvation of course. to us christmas is the celebration of our Lord's birth. the magnitude of Him stepping from heaven to earth to live with us and express His affection and desire for us. i mean WOW. second, i am thankful for my family. they fulfill, delight, inspire, and compliment me in so many ways. bring delight to the grumpiest of moods. third, my health. so much provision has been made for us in this way. i've been stressing for the last 4-5 days thinking i might be getting pancreatitis, quietly freaking out and not telling anyone. my brother josh reminded me that God will never give me more than i can handle and i prayed to accept the outcome no matter what. really, God has never ever given me more than i could handle. that is a promise i believe in not just because He said it but because it has rung true in my life over and over and over. oh girls and boys could i tell you some stories about provisions being made on our behalf! the exact and powerful timing of God!
but there is more that i want, peace being first on that list. not a holiday season goes by that i dont reflect (quite emotionally and with tears) on the state of the world. the hard hearts of so many that need melted and bended towards peace, those suffering at the hand of an oppressor, the sick without hope for a remedy, the cast aside without hope for redemption. may i be so cliche as to interject the words of john lennon that war is over if we want it? war is over, oppression is over, suicide is over, hopelessness, poverty, starvation. it can be over if we want it to be.
how to bring about a revolution of the heart,
a revolution which has to start with each one of us?
-- Dorothy Day
3 comments:
You are so right, that being with family was such a blessing this year. Olive and Aug we so childlike at christmas and it was so beautiful to have them. I feel you and your family are such an addition to our lives and though we dont get to see all of you enough, the time we do spend together is wonderful. I am greatful for a wonderful in law family.
That sounds like a great Christmas! I was wondering which church you went to for the service? I was trying to find something like that, but wasn't hearing much.
I'm with you on the 5 lbs. Chocolate chip cookies and chocolate covered pretzels took me down this year.
I hope that your concerns over your health are relieved. Health concerns are always so stressful. It sounds like you have a really great way of dealing with it.
Merry Christmas!
karen - today augustine was playing with the dollhouse (there is a family of 5 mice) and he said one was david, me, him, olive and the other one was little kylie (or however you are spelling it!) i thought that was so sweet! he is so excited for you guys! um and for her to ride dirt bikes with him as he keeps saying :)
amanda - we go (and went) to central vineyard. they meet at the xenos school (no affiliation) on calumet.
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