TWAS THE NIGHT AT THE END OF CHRISTMAS DAY

I’m home. Tired but refreshed. It has been a wonderful past two days.

I met my daughter and her family at their home and we headed over to my son-in-laws sister where all the in-laws gathered. They have moved into a beautiful former WW2 two bed one-bath bungalow. The previous owner raised the roof and added a second floor with a great room two bedrooms and two baths. The great room was a perfect gathering place.

What to say about nine grand kids running at top speed and screaming at top volume. They were up and down the stairs having the most wonderful time while a couple of us adults were somewhat thankful our hearing is going. The meal was cooking downstairs and the smoke detector went off three times (I think). When the alarm went off two or three of the kids matched the pitch and out decibeled the alarm. The stereo screeching was lovely to behold.

The two papas managed a mostly understandable conversation in the middle of the hubbub. Supper included the traditional potato soup with oysters for those who wanted them added. One of the youngest chose to come from the kids table to reach above my son-in-laws plate to get an orange and pulled over the sparking cider bringing his hand back. That brought a little extra excitement. The spill mostly landed in the lap of his neighbor (his brother). That set off a chain react ion of spills at both ends of the table.

Opening gifts is usually a big deal as it is typical to open one gift at a time and work around the room until the gifts are all open. This year the gifts were opened in groups beginning with the four youngest. The pile of kids in the middle of the room were jumbled together tearing paper off and trying to see what each other got. I had to wait for the pile to clear to figure it out. The kids drew names this year and gave each other gifts. The two littlest cousins were adorable. The little girl walked up to her equally small male cousin and gave him a kiss then they hugged. OK, OK! I’m sentimental. Loved it.

Christmas morning was spent at my daughters with my three grand kids. It was nice to have enough calmness to know what was happening. Our family is so very excited about Christmas. I’m sitting here writing my blog in my new robe with my new slippers. Everything feels so good. My old 35mm camera gave up the ghost this year. The shutter locked closed. To bad it happened so early in the day. I won’t get it fixed. It’s time to go digital.

I had a moment of guilt but enormous joy when my son-in-law gave his wife a certificate to get braces for her teeth to close the gap in front. As a father is was part of her charm to me. My daughter was never a complainer and rarely even asked for anything. I wasn’t smart enough when she was living at my home to know how badly she wanted that gap closed. She was so happy she was in tears. I knew it was important to her and I regretted never doing anything about it. I’m grateful that her husband is caring for that important issue to my baby.

The kids all got quite games and things to do, so after the gifts were opened I began reading m new John Grisham book. Love his writing. He always hooks me in the first chapter and keeps building to the very end. I really wish I could write like that, but then again I was a pastor not a lawyer. Don’t know of any murders in my churches. However, there was a messy legal issue when one elder sued another elder but that’s a story from another life.