Celebrating Christmas

First of all, Merry Christmas to all of our friends and loved ones! We are so fortunate to have such wonderful people surrounding us. A genuine thank you to all who bless our lives, provided gifts, sent cards, and keep us in their prayers. We hope your Christmas was delightful and that you were able to ponder on Jesus Christ despite all of the beautiful distractions.

Our Christmas week started out with our weekly Sunday service but this time with a Christmas program, of course. The earlier part of the week was spent cleaning and doing a bit of last minute shopping.

Christmas Eve, we had dinner at the Olive Garden with Neal's dad and step-mom, Rudy and Becky. Yummy! and less work! Then, back at the house, we let Sophie run outside in her pajamas while we fixed a few screwy Christmas lights and waited for Rudy and Becky to meet up with us again. Yes, the weather has been very mild. We feel like we are in California. So any out-of-state readers can relax. When the arrived we spent the evening playing games.

On Christmas morning, Neal and I read over the Christmas story in Luke before we welcomed Rudy and Becky again for brunch and present opening. We were very grateful for the thoughtful gifts given to us by family and friends. Neal was happy to finally get his hands on a GPS, while I was most excited about the Mama Mia DVD. Sophie enjoyed a bounty of wonders including a very noisy toddler pinball machine, tunnel, sesame street garage, toddler crayons, and stuffed animals, which included a screaming monkey.

After Rudy and Becky left, we napped. All three of us. It was wonderful. Late in the afternoon we welcomed our friends, John and Carly, and their children, Ben and Ella, for dinner and another evening of games. It was a very nice Christmas!