It was...
...started by attending a wedding and reception on Friday, December 22. The bride, the groom, and the moments were beautiful. Both had been divorced, single parents for about 20 years before finally finding each other. Happily entangled in love, they are now Mr. and Mrs.
...last minute wrapping of gifts as a few items I had had personalized were delivered.
...a Christmas Eve service that was full of warmth and harmony, with a message embraced by those in attendance. The reason for the season.
...watching and listening to my husband and daughter and two others sing O Holy Night with only piano accompaniment during the candlelite portion of the service. Feeling the tingles course through me and my eyes becoming misty.
...returning home and exchanging the gifts we had bought for each other. An annual tradition we turned to when we felt that those gifts were lost amidst the ones Santa brought.
...going to sleep and trying to contain the excitement the morning would be offering.
...awakening before the kids did and grinning at each other, as well as enjoying the quiet that was sure to be the last for most of the rest of the day.
...giggling seeing two sleepy-headed young adults come down the stairs and be summoned to the living room to open their gifts from Santa.
...feeling a tremendous sense of pride noting their appreciation, surprise, and gratitiude for each and every gift Santa had left for them. Glancing at my husband and knowing he was feeling exactly the way I felt.
...a short drive to my mother's house and being greeted with "Merry Christmases" and hugs and kisses from my nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers-in-law, and mother.
...decadent how we all literally flooded Mom's house with presents.
...deeply moving when Mom gave each person a completely unexpected and selfless gift, aside from her other carefully chosen presents. It brought tears to more than a few of us.
...hours and hours of laughter, silliness, conversation, and the most scrumptious meal.
...love.
...Christmas of 2006.
And it was perfect.
"For we all seem to give our lives away
Searching for things that we think we must own
Until on this evening
When the year is leaving
We all try to find our way home." ~from Find Our Way Home by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
7 comments:
It sounds perfectly lovely -- Merry Christmas! How wonderful to have such a good time with family.
I think I visited this entry on AOL, or I lost my mind. Well, not completely, because I remembered that I wanted to come back and compliment that Christmas tree graphic!
This post really made me smile :)
I'm so glad you had a Merry Christmas!
I'm about as confused as Jimmy!
: O
Nancy
This sounds like my dream Christmas. Now that my kids are grown and my extended family has spread out, I so miss those days when everybody was together. Enjoy it, my friend, while it lasts, because there is nothing else like it in this lifetime. Wishing you a wonderful 2007, full of more of the same great memories !
It sounded perfect Nikki! XXOO
What a perfect sounding day. I'm so happy for you.
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