Christmas Eve Eve

Here we are--Christmas Eve Eve as we say in our house. We somehow have the true miracle of the season which is remembering where gifts were hidden and finding them to wrap.  Have you ever tried to hide Christmas gifts for a family with 5 kids.  One who also has a birthday on Christmas?  It is a trip, let me tell you.

The stocking shopping got done yesterday by yours truly.  Every year I say there has to be a better way and we have yet to find it. But it gets done and there is singing and laughter and memories.  It is all good in the end.  I'd love to have that life where the gifts were wrapped November 12th or something but that is so not going to happen here.  Ever.  I will never be sitting and sipping wine on December 20th just listening to quiet music.  Well, maybe when I am 80 or something but not for now.

For now, December had no less than 5 holiday parties for the littles.  It had Lissa's birthday party, it will have Fiona's on Christmas Day. The vespers service and pageant at church was great and both the youngers were in the play this year.  I could not believe that KC was even willing to take a speaking part.  (Only one line but still, for him this is huge!)

  I got my cards out this year and that was huge for me.  Last year was the first year that I messed up and did not get any out.  I hated that.  There are folks I connect with only at Yuletide and I really missed that.

The house is decorated and mostly clean, though I will  work on that more tomorrow. We did tons of baking to gift folks for the holidays.

And this is all the more amazing when you factor in that K has been sick off and on since before Thanksgiving.  She got the flu around then, then had a round of mersa, then apparently the infection from the flu never fully left and now has new antibiotics for a raging sinus infection.  She has struggled through it but I feel badly for her.

Yet to do is to make a pumpkin pie and cinnamon buns, a birthday cake for Fiona and parker house rolls.  Tonight I will wrap the last 5 or 6 things that I got off layway today and then find some time to wrap my wife's stocking stuff.  Her gifts are done but not those.

Sending prayers for peace, for love enough to sustain, for joy in the small as well as the large, to all?!