Christmas 2020...

I left off on Christmas Eve in my last Blog post. I will start there.

Thursday, December 24, 2020 I took these picture just before the Marx family arrived. Claude was on the patio checking the brisket that was smoking in the smoker. I received a text from my friend, Laura, who lives in Frankfort. She sent me the cutest picture of bird tracks on their deck in the snow. I took these pictures to let her know how much snow we had on the ground in Sadieville at that time.

The Marx family arrived. They had no snow in LaGrange. They started seeing snow as they got closer to the Georgetown exit on I-64. There were several wrecks. The roads were slick. They made it here in good shape. Claude got the brisket buffet set up on the island and we enjoyed a good meal together. 

It continued to snow throughout the evening. Bailey and I went into the front yard to take some pictures of the snow there.

It was a lovely little snow. We probably only got a couple of inches but it was enough to cover the ground and the items on the ground but not have to shovel the driveway. 

We were at an interesting point this Christmas. This was our first year since the Mini's were born that we have not put out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. We are growing up! Bailey did bake cookie after she came over. But we didn't need to put any out for Santa. The other item was determining what time to get up to open presents. It seems strange to find they are okay with sleeping in a bit on Christmas morning. Which is what we did. 

Christmas Eve, Claude and I were in bed between 11 and 11:30pm. That is normal for us. I nestled down in bed and was so comfortable. I began to dose off. Now, I do this at least once a week. My body rests for 15-30 minutes. Then it thinks it has had this great nap and is ready to be going again. Ugh!! No, it wasn't being anxious to open gifts. It was a normal thing that happens to me. I usually go to the guest room with a book to read. Alas, Andie and Michael were in the guest room. What to do, what to do? I laid in our bed till about 2am. Then I really needed to get up and read. I found my book in the dark and quietly went into the living room. I took the pillows on the loveseat and plumped them up at one end so I could lay there and look at our Christmas tree. I just enjoyed letting my mind wander back through 2020 and all that happened in it. Then I thought about 2021 and what it might be like. I reflected on my family members and where they were at in their lives. It was such a peaceful time and way to reflect. Everyone was sleeping. The house was warm. The snow was falling outside. It was a beautiful bit of time. Eventually I got up and picked up my book. I could not read it by the light of the tree. I moved to Claude's end of our sofa and turned on the table lamp. I opened my Simple Abundance book by Sarah BanBreathnach to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I read these two chapters. 

The chapter for December 24th is titled "Here Is All I've Counted Splendid" and starts with a poem by Edgar A. Guest.

Write it down, when I have perished:

Here is everything I've cherished;

That these walls should glow with beauty

Spurred my lagging soul to duty;

That there should be gladness here

Kept me toiling, year by year...

Every thought and every act

Were to keep this home in tact. 

Sarah describes Christmas Eve as her favorite night of the year. She states her heart if full of gratitude; order had kept all the moving parts moving; a sense of harmony has emerged because she finally stopped long enough to balance work and family at least for the holidays; beauty surrounds her in the festive decorations; her home feels cozy; and joy has arrived with family and a festive feast. 

Sarah shares a legend that on the night of the Nativity, whoever into great snows bears a bone for a lost house, a wisp of hay for a shivering horse, a warm cloak for a stranded wayfarer, a garland of bright berries for one who has worn chains, a dish of crumbs for huddled birds, and sweetmeats for little children and leaves these gifts for the animals and people will be "proffered and returned gifts of such an astonishment as will rival the hues of the peacock and the harmonies of heaven". Sarah takes each of these items on a tray on Christmas Eve and places them on a stone wall in front of these house near the street. On Christmas morning she collects the tray and many of the offerings are gone. I love this tradition.

The chapter for December 25th is titled simply "Christmas". It begins with this quote from an unknown author: “If, as Herod, we fill our lives with things, and again with things; if we consider ourselves so unimportant that we must fill every moment of our lives with action, when will we have the time to make the long, slow journey across the desert as did the Magi? Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Or brood over the coming of the child as did Mary? For each one of us, there is a desert to travel. A star to discover. And a being within ourselves to bring to life.” 

I closed my Simple Abundance book and thanked my Heavenly Father again for helping me have this quiet moment during the night to be still and enjoy our Christmas tree. To read good thoughts that reflected how I was feeling. To enjoy the spirit of Christmas by myself for this one night. I was now ready to go back to bed and sleep until time for our family to wake up to the fun that is Christmas morning.

Friday, December 25, 2020 we awoke to find we had a power outage some time after I came back to bed and before we awoke. Clocks would need to be reset but we had power now. 

We began this Christmas morning as we always do...a family picture on the stairs. Usually I am taking this picture and not in the picture. This year, Hayden brought his tripod for his cell phone camera. He set it up and we took two pictures. One of all of us. Then one of us all like we are on a roller coaster ride. This is a statement on the year 2020!!

We received two photos of family in Muskegon, Michigan continuing the family picture on the stairs tradition. Aubrey and Nelson. Then the Ropers with Drew holding Emelia and Katelyn holding Raelyn.

Then it was upstairs to go through stockings first.

Andie had Hayden set up the television with a fire to open presents by. This is a YouTube of a dumpster fire. The longer it runs, the more they add to it. I took three pictures. In the first a book title 2020 is being burned. Can we get an "Amen"?? In the second they were roasting a roll of toilet paper like a big marshmallow. I didn't quite get the picture taken with the stick with the toilet paper on the end. The final picture has stockings hung on the dumpster.

This year I asked Hayden to hand out the presents for us to open. Here are a few pictures of present opening. These three are gifts given to us by our children. Claude opened the Marx gift first. It was a stylus for each of us to hang on our key chains. One of the areas of concern is people signing with the same pen at counters. With the stylus you can sign using a pen only you have used. No sharing of germs. The second is a book that Jacob gave us. It is a book by Paul Goble entitled "The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses". It is a Caldecott award winner. It is a delightful book. The third is from the Tyler's. It is a calendar to remember birthdays and anniversaries. From each month on the board you hang a chain of hearts or circles with the names and date on it of the birthday or anniversary. Really cool. 

Michael received two unique gifts from his family. Michael is an avid University of Maryland fan. The picture will eventually be of him in his University of Maryland jersey. Since they didn't have a good one of him in that Jersey, Bailey helped made a template so he knew what they were going to finish up after they get a good picture of him in his jersey. It will be made into on of those cardboard figures you see in the stands at a game. University of Maryland will put Michael's cardboard cutout of him in his jersey in the stands, take a picture of it, the players will sign it and he will receive that cardboard figure. Michael can't go to the games this year but he can pretend he was there in person. 

The Marx family has loved the Simpsons before there were any Marx children. This year they are having a painting of the Marx family in the rolls of the Simpsons. Michael was very happy with this gift.

I purchased cinnamon rolls from the Coyne children like we did last year. Those were baking in the oven while we opened gifts. I iced them and we were ready for Christmas breakfast of cinnamon rolls. So very yummy. 

Claude was baking a ham for dinner. But this year we had less time with the Marx family than usual. I did purchase a puzzle. Usually that goes on the table after the big meal and stays out until it is done. This year I purchased a 1000 piece puzzle and Michael was ready to make a puzzle with me. We cleared the table before dinner and managed to finish this one before everyone went to bed. Andie helped a bit also. I love this puzzle tradition and am grateful Michael will keep it with me.

While we were making the puzzle, Michael asked me if I was having trouble with the internet. I checked my cell phone and it was having trouble. Michael had Hayden check his phone and he was also not getting internet. The Marx family uses Verizon. Claude and I use AT&T. I did have a Facebook post from our next door neighbor on the neighborhood Facebook page asking if others had cell service. This post was from earlier in the day. It seems we all had service at some point but now no one did. No one in our home had service at all. Our neighbor also uses T-Mobile and it was not working. At some point in the morning, we lost all cell service. I tried to send Jacob a text to let him know our cell phone wasn't working. I couldn't send texts. When I tried to call Jake, I received a message on my phone that only emergency calls were allowed. So most of Christmas day we had absolutely no cell service. 

Claude's ham dinner was excellent. 

Saturday, December 26, 2020 we had the morning with the Marx family. Then they headed back to LaGrange. We had cell service and I realized I missed the nursing home trying to call me Christmas afternoon. Ugh!! Claude and I determined we would curl up in front of our television and watch some more of Season 4 of Northern Exposure. 

Andie sent me this lovely Nativity that suits 2020 really well.

Today is Sunday, December 27, 2020. We have viewed Sacrament meeting via Zoom. We watched the two PowerPoints I gave to Claude for Christmas. One is the PowerPoint I prepared for our 50th Anniversary when we were to all be together for a family reunion in Ohio. The second was a PowerPoint I made for Claude of pictures of just the two of us over the past 50 years. It was really nice to go through those pictures and remember our lives well lived.