This Was Christmas

Today is New Year's Eve and I am still thinking of Christmas. I had a lovely Christmas, beginning with Christmas Eve. I made a dinner that was easy to prepare ahead of time, leaving the main dish simmering in the oven while Chad, Megan, and I went to the Christmas Eve service at church. Anne Marie was still in too much post-surgery discomfort to go out. The service was great--I love Christmas Eve services--and we had a full house.

Megan on Christmas Eve wearing a hat and
scarf she made.

A church project was to take plates of cookies to places around town where people were having to work on the holiday--hospital, hospice, nursing homes, mini-marts, the ambulance (EMS) base, etc. I had signed up to bake some of the cookies, which made a nice project for Megan and me. I don't know how many cookies were donated altogether, but there were a lot. A team prepared individual containers of cookies for the list of places that had been suggested as recipients. After the Christmas Eve service, volunteers took the cookies to assigned locations. I know Chad got a big hug at Hospice when he dropped the cookies off there, and I am sure they were appreciated in all the other places they were delivered.

We came home after cookie delivery to eat our Christmas dinner, joined by friend Gwen. A most satisfying day.

Megan modeling her new Angry Birds
footy pajamas

Christmas day was relaxed and slow, as we did nothing in a hurry. Anne Marie baked a brunch casserole, then she and Chad joined Megan and I upstairs in my house. (My home is the designated site for the Christmas tree and gifts--I have a corner it fits in and I don't have five dogs and two cats!) We had a good time opening gifts. We do it by Stockings first (yes, everybody gets a stocking), then we take turns opening our individual gifts. That way we enjoy seeing what everyone got, with thank-yous along the way. Megan stopped now and again to try on various garments she received!

It was almost 1 p.m. by the time we got to our breakfast/brunch casserole and were hungry enough to really enjoy it! After Birdies went home, I relaxed and played Christmas music. What a lovely day!

Megan slicing the casserole, known in their family as "Breakfast Bricks." She is wearing another Christmas gift--
her Captain America T-shirt.

The only downer to me about Christmas being over is that I wasn't tired of playing my Christmas music yet! So I was tickled yesterday when I looked at the church bulletin and saw that all the hymns for the day were Christmas songs. I love that Christmas wasn't just swept away as soon as December 25 was past.

And, now, I wish you all the best as we move forward into 2013. Whatever it brings, it joys and its difficulties, we will walk through it with the knowledge that Immanuel, God With Us, still lives and is still with us.