To me, Christmas does not last long enough. (even though we have been listening to Christmas music since Halloween!) This holiday season has been simple and magical, full family, friends, food, and full of quiet acts of service. It was not us that performed these acts of kindness though. So many people have given to us this year and we feel blessed, too blessed! Things have been really crazy these last couple of months with the adoption, sickness, two broken down vehicles and when we seem to be getting ahead and things start settling down, something knocks us on our butt. We are so very fortunate to have a generous circle of friends! Some of these friends have chosen to remain anonymous with bags of goodies and money. I really wish I knew who to thanks. It is so hard to receive! I am humbled that there are so many willing to be the Lord's instruments and I have witnessed the power of the Christmas spirit so many times this Christmas. Some amazing people in our ward dropped off one of their extra vehicles for us to drive while ours are being fixed. I was able to get to doctor's appointments and do some Christmas shopping. I wish I had a way to express just how much that meant to me. Another wonderful, giving friend, Jennifer, invited me to go shopping with her in Grand Junction for the day and her husband, bless his heart, watched some of my kids and another awesome friend watched my little ones for the whole day while we shopped. Who could ask for more wonderful friends!
Christmas Eve the kids shopped for each other with their own money. It was the first time I have taken all five kids to the store by myself and it was pretty darn fun! I don't think I will take them grocery shopping with me any time soon though! When we got home, they went in their rooms and wrapped their presents. It was such a beautiful sight to see those little packages with too much tape and not enough wrapping paper under the tree. We read in Luke about the Savior's humble birth and watched Joy To The World and sent our babies to bed. Christmas morning was full of giggling, laughter, squeals! I felt pleased with the reaction that I could hear from my bed! The missionaries came over and ate Christmas breakfast and open presents with us. I made German pancakes, a fruit salad, and little smokies wrapped in bacon! So good! The missionaries got to talk with their families and that evening we had Christmas dinner. The missionaries requested ham and candied yams. They discovered the marshmallow shooters that my mom had bought for Madse and Mike. There were slobbery marshmallows stuck to the walls, carpet, and our clothes. They totally wasted me! You would never believe it but with a little spit mixed in, those marshmallows are lethal! they sting! I got pelted in the nose and throat and it left a mark!!!
Our Christmas tree will linger til January even though there are more needles on the floor than on the tree. It is sad to see all of the beauty end. I think the song from The Forgotten Carols says it best "I cry the day that I take the tree down. I want the season to last all year 'round."
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