Last Thursday, 12/21, was an early release day for our kids from school which means that they were done at 11:30. Roger had the day off and had borrowed a vehicle from his work. I had coordinated with Allison on a few stops to sing Christmas carols. We gathered up our kids as well as a few extras and headed out to carol. Our first stop was at the nursing home where the residents were delighted to see the children! Meanwhile I think every child we brought along was taking off hats, mittens, and coats and murmuring about “how hot it is in here!” They survived and did very well, and the residents certainly enjoyed seeing the young faces singing the carols. The rest of our stops were all shorter, and we stood outside on the porch steps and sidewalks...much to the relief of the children! I’m glad we made the effort to take the kids and go caroling. It’s important to me to raise our kids to reach out to the lonely older folks too.
After caroling we drove down to Portland to pick up Aunt Jen. The kids have been looking forward to her arrival for several weeks! On the way home we stopped at the L.L.Bean store in Freeport. They decorate the area with Christmas lights and flair and the store is open for 24 hours. The kids enjoyed seeing the model train set up for Christmas, and it was a good start to our Christmas break!
On Sunday we attended the Christmas Eve service, and enjoyed the day as a family. Our family sang together for the Christmas Eve service and while it wasn’t amazing or awesome, it bought a special delight to my heart to hear our family sing together unto the Lord. I hope that we will continue to make the effort to sing together in church this year. I do enjoy this special service with candles, lots of singing and a devotional on the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s not just a holiday to celebrate His birth, but to celebrate WHY He came to earth. He came so that you and I could have eternal life and that is a gift worth celebrating!
We had originally planned to open gifts on Christmas morning before heading up to Hannah and Josh’s house. However the weather forcast was predicting blizzard like conditions. We still planned on going to my sister’s house, but we knew it would take longer than normal to get there. Although Roger and I didn’t give gifts to our children this year, they had shopped for each other at the Christmas shop at school. And Aunt Jen had brought presents for them too! After the Christmas Eve service, eating yummy food, and reading the Christmas story together, we opened gifts. Roger’s boss and his wife had given each of the boys a multi-tool knife, which they were thrilled to receive! The boys had picked out gifts for each other that included duct tape, electrical tape, and rope! The boys were delighted with their gifts from each other, and I’m sure we will see many inventions crafted together with their supplies! Emma received a baby doll from Roger’s boss and wife, and she is always happy to receive another baby!
However when all the presents were opened, Emma started crying! I asked her what was the matter and she wanted to know where her presents were from Santa! Say what?! We’ve never done Santa at our house and I was completely flabbergasted! She said that she had asked for a dog, a play kitchen, an pretend four wheeler, and a bike for Christmas! I had known that she was wanting those things, but I had been very clear that she wasn’t going to get any of those gifts this Christmas. Little by little the story unfolded and the pieces fell into place. We discovered that her older brother, Travis, had told her that Santa would bring her whatever she wanted! I asked Travis why on earth he would tell her such a story! He replied, “It seemed funny at the time. I don’t know why I did it!” So we ended up having a discussion with Emma about why we don’t get gifts from Santa as well as a discussion with her brother about why we don’t give false hope to others and lie to them to try to make them happy! So...Merry Christmas! Actually though it provided a learning lessons and a teachable moment for our kids. And it will make a funny memory in the future!
We woke up on Christmas morning to a bit of gently falling snow, but it was nothing like the weather predicted for that time of morning. We ate breakfast togethered, gathered up our gifts to take to Hannah and Josh, and headed out. And then the snow started! I am so thankful for Roger’s great driving skills, the Lords protection, and a wonderful day together! Jenn had downloaded a movie on her iPad, and it was the perfect length! By the time the movie was over, we were turning on to the road to Hannah’s house. The snow did come down strong and heavy for several hours, but we enjoyed the day together playing games, visting, and eating more food! The kids went outside for a little bit and came back in covered with snow! By the time we were ready to leave the snow plows had come through and the roads were much clearer. We were happy to get home safely.
The rest of the week has been spent at home. The UPS truck came to our house on Tuesday bringing a few gifts for the kids. My Aunt Lisa from North Carolina had thoughtfully sent gifts for the kids. They’ve enjoyed a new game this week, and Emma has been loving on all her new babies! Roger and I went on a date on Tuesday evening, and it was good to spend time together alone. The kids have spent the entire week at home, and they have loved not having to go anywhere! The temps have been much colder the last few days, so they bounce back and forth between outside and inside. We’ve played lots of games, been snowshoeing several times, and have enjoyed the week without a schedule or routine. Roger actually had off several days in a row, so it’s been a special time to have him home too. Jenn and I did spend some time with Hannah on Wednesday afternoon, so we enjoyed that time together too. The week is going by very quickly, but it’s been a happy and full week. Aunt Jen has to return home to South Dakota tomorrow, but we have certainly enjoyed having her with us this week.
I hope that you too have had a wonderful week with family and friends. Blessings as we approach the new year!
Sarah
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