Our "Christmas day"

Although most people celebrate Christmas on the 25th, we waited, of course, for the children to come "home".  Well, to our home.  None of our children lived in this house. (Oh, I guess I can't say that.  Jill's family lived with us when they moved to Newton while they waited for their house in Green Bay to sell.)

This house was built after all our kids had all flown the coop!  The grandchildren only remember this house as where we have lived.   HOME is where family is; where we gather.

Everyone wanted to go to Druber's first thing the morning after arriving.

 Druber's is our local donut shop.

Hannah was probably reminiscing of days when she was a little girl and used to come here and sit in this very same little chair that swirls around.

 I found pictures of past years when the grandchildren enjoyed Druber's donuts.

They still love donut goodness!

The grown-ups do too!

When we got home, it was time to ope gifts.  "Santa" made his appearance and was greeted by a couple of fierce warriors!  He passed out the stockings and made his get-away!

 Mindy was telling us about this scrubbie that Jason's family swears by.  

I'll have to get one to try out.

I was a little in disbelief (can you see my face? -  "A camera?" I was a little confused!)  Al got me another camera so I don't have to switch out lenses all the time when we are adventuring!  It is a hassle going from a big lens to a smaller one, back and forth, especially when I know I will miss a shot before I get it changed.  Al is so good to me!!

Every year, Allen gets a box of chocolate covered cherries from Jill - with one missing.  Back when she was pregnant with Hannah, she bought a box of these and ended up eating the whole box before she could wrap it!  So she bought another box, and still had to snitch one more out of that box!  Those pregnancy cravings, you know...

 Elijah painted a Christmas photo for us!  I will hang it up every year!

 Hannah got a wood burning set and burned hearts on the cities all the kids live in and our hometown too.  I am pointing to the city Mindy and Jason will be moving to later this month.   They will be S O O O   F A R away!!

 One plus will be that I see adventures to California in future years!

 These two!

Hannah burned this wood piece for her Papa.

 She thought it was funny that a possum came to our small group one evening.

 Papa picked him up by the tail and took him back to the field behind our home.

Eli was so excited about his I-pod and I love it that he e-mails me now!

I made toys for the grandpups.

And here they are with their toys:

Kobi

Bear

Joby

Christmas with the family 2019

Christmas is almost done for us.  One more extended family celebration with the Graber siblings at the home farm tomorrow.

The first of our 3 children arrived on Dec 27.  Mindy and her husband Jason (from Colorado, although they had just visited his family in Council Grove) came and we decided to go to Wichita for dinner and then to the Botanical Gardens.

I was absolutely delighted that the Botanical had acquired the carousel from Joyland when it shut down!  I LOVE them!  I had ridden this very one when we were in the States in '68 when I was in the 8th grade!  I could have ridden it several times!

The next day, our kids from Arkansas and Wisconsin were on the way.  The day was quiet.  Reading, talking, napping. 

Jason and Al worked together to install Roku we had received for free.  Not sure I know how to use it and even forgot we had installed it several days ago!  Then Jason went to the Y and Mindy made lasagna rolls.  I am so grateful for kids who help with meal cooking!   

When the rest of the family arrived, the volume  rose 10 decimals!!  My heart is full!

We never know

Yesterday at church, it was good to see several of my friends' children and grandchildren home for the holidays.  I thought back to the last holiday we had with my parents.   It was Thanksgiving, 2014.

We had no idea, of course, that it would be our last holiday together.  My mother would pass away 10 days before Christmas.  We were so surprised; it was not anticipated at all!  And daddy would pass away in mid-November of the following year.  So 2014 was our last Thanksgiving, and the year before had been our last Christmas with Mom.  Who knew.

Some rememberances of that last Christmas:

kissing Baby Jesus

 Our last family picture

This morning, I received a call from my Uncle Bill that my daddy's youngest sibling, the last remaining one, passed away.  She is now in the Lord's presence.

Aunt Betty is on the far right.

Since they live on the way to our son's home in Arkansas, we would often meet with them at a restaurant, but this past year, we would take along some goodies to share with them.  

I don't suppose any one knew that last Christmas was their last.  It can be sobering to know that it is the last, of course.  When Allen's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we knew she would not be alive for our next Christmas.  At least on earth.  She is MUCH alive!  If you have never read John Eldredge's book "All Things New", you should!  Or Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven".  These men studied the Scriptures deeply and wrote about heaven.  Fascinating and so exciting!!  Heaven is not a boring place where we sit on clouds and strum harps!  

We don't know our days, do we?  But the Lord does!

               "Your eyes saw my unformed body;

                                      all the days ordained for me 

                    were written in your book

                          before one of them came to be." 

                                               Psalm 139:16

We may not know, but there is assurance in knowing our life is in His hands.  He watches over us.

Here is how we spent this past Thanksgiving.  With my husband's family:

 Writing down what we are thankful for and putting it on the "tree".

And also with my brother and his wife:

We need to treasure our days with our families whenever we can.  We look forward to our children and grandchildren coming!!  We are counting the days!

It is soon Christmas, the celebration of Christ come to earth to rescue man.   

This is love - not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to take away our sins.

(1 John 4:10)