Ah...Christmas is past for another year

Christmas is over and I'm back to work. It came and went so fast this year. We had such a great time with the kids in Cincinnati. I really cherish the time with our children and grandchildren. Molly, Myron and Betsy came up to our house on Christmas Eve so we were able to have the fun of a child on Christmas morning again. Betsy likes to sleep so we didn't have any early morning hours like we used to do when I was a kid. Sometimes we'd be up right after our parents had gone to bed. Dad always made it fun for us...sometimes with a map to follow to a gift or some kind of surprise. With seven kids, we didn't get a lot, but we always felt blessed. We hung up Dad's socks for our stockings and he filled them with an apple, an orange, nuts and hard candy. After Christmas he always had seven very stretched-out socks to go back in his drawer. The smell of oranges always reminds me of Christmas for that reason. Mom usually made sure we had at least one new sweater or outfit at Christmas and Dad came up with most of the toy ideas. One year he bought us our first stereo...we thought that was the greatest! We could actually play albums in our own living room! Christmas at Dad's was fun as always this year, but I sure did miss Mom. She always sat in her recliner watching the grandkids and great-grandkids running around excitedly hoping for supper to be over so they could open gifts. I know it was really hard for Dad to spend the morning without Mom. He said it was the first time in 61 years that he'd been away from home on Christmas morning...he had gone to visit my mother's sister and her husband in the nursing home. Our numbers were down a little this year since some of the grandkids couldn't bring their families...we still had a big group of 48! Dad started in September making peanut brittle...he ended up with 80 pounds to give away as gifts. All of the family got it, plus his mail carriers, and the people at the restaurants that he frequents! He's amazing for 82 years! John and I really felt a special bond with Betsy this year...she's growing up and finding that grandparents can be fun! We did crafts with her this year and she loved that. She's usually happiest when she's drawing, painting, or coloring! Joel, Wendy and Jake spent a warm Christmas with her family in South Carolina. We really missed them but know they had a great time with her parents and her brother's family. We are so blessed to have such a great loving family. I thank the Lord for all His many blessings this year and pray for His guidance in my life for the next year!