This is from December 20th....
We returned home to clean up from our trips. We feel that the ‘going’ has been non-stop since the pie party. We went to Idaho, cleaned up, went to California, cleaned up, and the house still is not back to where we’d like it. No ironing (along with a few other things) has happened since before the pie party. I feel overwhelmed at times with everything on my to do list. L4 thinks I’m crazy because my list is always longer than what is humanly possible. Then add on top of that two very active helpers. It sometimes seems they are capable of undoing my best efforts faster than I can accomplish any single task.
Joy School performed the Christmas Story at an assisted living center this week. I also taught Joy School. The lessons were focused on giving. We made fudge and gave it to family members and practiced the performance. The children did a great job. The smiles were abundant among the residents, children, and parents. The children gave the residents a candle ornament that L4 and I made late one night. L4 was a good sport to help me.
We were invited to a friend’s company Christmas party on Thursday evening. We enjoyed a night out together downtown. The food was the best L4 has ever had at a restaurant here in the US and the company was great. On Friday L4 went on an overnighter with the 11 year old Boy Scouts and then did a 5 mile hike Saturday morning. I hired a babysitter and went to a girls ornament exchange. I enjoyed myself and learned a great deal about others around me. After L4 returned from camping, we started our Christmas shopping. We left the boys at the house with a sitter, along with another couple’s children, and went shopping. We laughed and shopped. The Christmas shopping is not completely finished but we’re close.
L4 and I are trying to figure out what our Christmas traditions are going to be for our family. It has taken much negotiation to arrive at our current state. We’ve agreed to celebrate Christmas as is done in Spain, with the arrival of the Three Kings (or wise men) but we will celebrate their arrival on Christmas day instead of the day of Epiphany. We really want to focus on the Savior and service. We struggle with how much or how little to get our children. We will find the balance. I find that I like to have a plan (like my Mom) and I like a lot of surprise (like my Dad).
We hope this coming Christmas finds you safe, happy, and full of the love of God.
1 comment:
It's neat to hear about L4 and his scout involvement (overnighter and hike). I'm guessing that there's not much in the ay of winter camping down there, which I dread as a youth leader myself.
We feel the same thing after vacations, it's hard to return to normalicy. Sorry we weren't able to drive down there to Tucson when we were in AZ for Thanksgiving. It felt like such a short trip down there that we couldn't go anywhere else.
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