Processing Christmas-Day Two

 If you read my last POST HERE, you will know that our Christmas celebration came in two parts. I thought I'd take a little break between posts to give you (& me!) a chance to get caught up with everyone else. We are all sharing our Christmas stories and it's so wonderful to see and hear how you all celebrated The Birth of Christ in your homes.  We each have our own special traditions and foods and decorations and things that we like to do at Christmas time...it's fun to hear all about it.  And even for those who don't have a lot of family nearby, it is good to do something to commemorate the day and honor Christ's birthday in whatever way is meaningful to you.  I've really enjoyed reading your posts. We are like one big family here!

So speaking of family...on our "Day Two" of Christmas, my sister and her hubby and daughter and her hubby traveled a couple of hours to spend the afternoon with us. This was the only picture I got of our family together, as the rest of the time we were too busy either eating or opening gifts, or just enjoying visiting and I totally forgot about taking pictures! (Something must be wrong with me! LOL)

I love this picture because our son Scott, who you see at the very top of steps in a teal colored shirt on the left side, actually set up my phone camera with a timer on the bumper of a truck in the driveway, and ran and leaped up to the top of the steps between all of us and managed to pose for the picture before it snapped! Amazing! And it still turned out this good! These young people with such quick minds and agility just blow me away! LOL.

Anyway, our original plan had been to go out to eat for lunch at a local BBQ place since my hubby and I would be going to church (he teaches the Adult Sunday School class and I sing in the choir, so we didn't feel like we could skip it just because company was coming), and I knew I wouldn't have time to prepare any kind of meal for everyone who would be arriving right at noon.  However, the day before, after our own family's Christmas dinner was over we determined that we had a LOT of leftovers, and I called my sister and asked her what they had for leftovers, and we decided we both had enough that we could put them together and have a great pot-luck dinner instead of having to go out to eat!! Great idea! And it worked out perfectly. We still had leftovers! LOL.

One fun thing we did was make a bowl of Christmas punch, with lime sherbet, cranberry juice, ginger ale and orange juice. (or you could use pineapple juice, but I didn't have any). We used this beautiful green punch bowl set that my mother in law gave me years ago. It has been used for many Christmas parties at church and our home over the years.  I put my niece to work making the punch right away and she laughed and said now she felt like "an old church lady" making the "church lady punch".  I guess that's what we'll call it from now on! LOL. (Sorry, forgot to take a picture of the finished product).

Lunch being done, our next event was our annual "White Elephant Gift" exchange...where each person brings a wrapped gift  that is something you'd like to get rid of...or it could be something nice, but the idea is to not have to go out and buy gifts for everyone.  We play this game, which is like what some of you call a "Chinese Auction" or "Dirty Santa", where people can take your gift if they want it and you have to get another one, etc., etc., but everyone still ends up with a gift, whether you like it or not! LOL.

There were some very "interesting" gifts passed around.

Like this "Mark the Moose". LOL

Or this "Ginger and Chili Chutney" and other interesting delicacies...

Which really aren't bad, but their expiration date is next month, so we'd  better eat them up fast! LOL. 

Anybody want some marmalade or chutney or relish? You have to come here and get it!

But we did also exchange some very special gifts between us...

One thing that is a tradition from my family is that my father used to buy each of the ladies one of these Amaryllis plant kits each Christmas, so we could plant it and watch it grow:

So, I have kind of taken over that tradition and make sure to find these every year for each of the women who will be present at our Christmas gatherings.  Sometimes they aren't as easy to find, or they may be already starting to grow in the box, like that one above was doing...I just planted it in the pot yesterday, and look at it already!!  But it will grow and have beautiful flowers, and then in the spring you can plant it outdoors and it might bloom again later. They do come back each year as well. (here in Florida)

I also received some very special and meaningful gifts from my sister and my niece as well. They just really touched my heart.

The "Devotions from the Front Porch" (by Stacy Edwards) book was from my sister, and the "O Holy Night" book was from my niece. Just a couple of examples of what is inside these books will show you how special they are:

"A Rocking Chair" on the front porch invites you to

  "Come unto Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

And, can you imagine why I was drawn to read this one?  "The Lily Tree", a special tree planted in loving memory of an infant named Lily who never got to be held in her mother's arms...

"His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23

The other book, "O Holy Night",  (illustrated by Sarah Cray) has beautiful water color paintings accompanying the lyrics to several different beloved Christmas carols, including "O Holy Night",

And "Joy to the World"

Amazing to me how my sister and my niece both knew what I would love and enjoy. I was very humbled by these sweet gifts.

But I've been talking too much here and not getting to the very best gift of all, that literally brought me to tears!

Can you read what is engraved on the handle of this little baby spoon?

Yes, it says "Pamela Anne".  My sister gave this to me...and when I saw it I just couldn't believe it. This was my baby spoon!  Somehow she ended up with it among other silverware from our mother's things, and she said it was so tarnished she didn't realize what it was until she polished it. I'm not sure why it affected me so much, but I couldn't help but shed some tears as I held this tiny little silver spoon in my hand and thought about how my mother had actually fed me with this spoon when I was a baby...and the fact that it had my name engraved on it...well, that just blew me away. Then someone broke the spell and said, "Gee Mom, now you can say you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth!" LOL. Yeah, right!  I don't know who gave this spoon to my mother when I was born, maybe my grandparents.  I wish I knew. But no matter who...it just made me think about the baby Jesus, and how there were no silver baby spoons for Him when He was born in a manger, and yet He was the King of kings! He left the Ivory Palaces of Heaven to come to earth, to be born among the cattle and sheep and in a lowly feed trough...the Bread of Heaven, given for all mankind. And He did it for me, and for you! He knows my name!  It is written down in His Lamb's book of life...and He knows your name too...

How special is that???

Well, there were other special gifts in addition to this, but I think I will stop here. Maybe some others will show up in future posts. But I just want us to stop and think here about how much Jesus loves us!

He knows your name. It is written down in His book of those who love Him and those for whom He gave up His life.  

"Greater love has no one than this, 

than to lay down one’s life for his friends."

John 15:13

Now maybe you see why I am still "processing Christmas" in my mind. 

It's been rather "mind-blowing".

It's almost New Year's...and I still haven't come up with my "One Word for 2022".

Have you? I am praying about it. I am sure God will reveal it to me on time.

He always does.

Until next time,

be blessed my friends...Jesus loves you.