Family Time

Here are just a few highlights from the last few days.

• Loved the hugs when the kids from Nevada arrived.  Balm for our souls.

• Didn't love the candle wax that was spilled on the rug when the candle warmer was jostled. (note to self:  don't leave the candlewarmer on when company is coming.)

• Wished I'd had a picture of the pizza that decided to take a flying leap and landed upside-down-half-on-the-oven-door-half-on-the-floor on the way to its baking.

• Decided that Scattergories is a totally different game when played with adults versus playing with younger souls.

• Broke my longstanding edict and rode Trax.  It was cheaper and less hassle to have 12 people ride Trax than to take 2 vehicles, find parking, pay for parking and walk the however many blocks it would be between the parking and the venue.  And it was fine.

• All 12 of us loved The Piano Guys concert.  They put on a great show.  I could see it again.  Thanks, Daughter, for the Christmas gift of the concert.  A memorable experience.

• Was happy to prevent The Husband losing his trousers when narrating the Christmas program by dashing home to fetch his forgotten belt.  These days we're not sure whether we are coming or going, let alone being sure to remember the essentials.

Lovely flowers

• A truly heart-warming occurrence: when our oldest son was leaving and he initiated our traditional Group Hug.  He usually heads for the hills (or at least mightily complains) when we all want to do a group hug.  Thanks Oldest Son's Girlfriend for softening his heart.

• It felt good to have three of our children with us at church.

• Was gifted a bouquet of flowers.  I so love fresh flowers in the house, particularly in the winter.  Lovely.

Annoying Rudolph

• Am by turns annoyed, irritated and exasperated by The Husband's fondness for this dumb Rudolph/deer.  It's been hanging around for several decades (was received as a gift when all the chilluns were little) - has been de-furred, thrown around, and nearly thrown away.  (I'm still trying to toss it out!)  Its music is abrasive and vacillates between being recognizable and sounding like a dying cat when the batteries are low.   Whenever it starts to look like it has finally gone to deer-toy-heaven The Husband pulls out the tools, disassembles it, works his fixing magic, and re-assembles the silly thing.  Still trying to figure out how to make it disappear.

• Decided to make it a fuss free dinner last night.  14 of us made for a full house.  Paper goods were the perfect background to a lunch-for-dinner:  make-your-own ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, clementines, and brownies.  Followed the dinner with a meander down the street to see the neighborhood light show (enough lights on that one house to power several neighborhoods) and it was a fine evening.

E'er They Drove Out Of Sight

• After another traditional group hug we stood in the driveway and waved as the truck drove our family out of sight.  Sighing that it was a great visit, part of our hearts traveled with them.  Drive safe.

• The bathrooms have been polished, the carpets sucked of their dusty debris by vacuum, the tile steamed, the washer and dryer have worked through the day, the application of wood glue to the kitchen table (how have we never noticed that it needed help?) is drying, the tv antenna has been hooked up and we are now jammied and settled in for a long winter's night nap.

It has been a good weekend.  One to remember with fondness.

My gratitude:  for the entire and whole reason we celebrate this season - the birth of the Savior of this world.  Endless, endless gratitude.