Reflections of the Holidays

Reflections of the holiday season in no particular order or importance:

1. Thanksgiving weekend we built a barn for the cows in three and half days.

2. We had an ice storm that kept me home for 7 days. The school missed five days of classes. I watched  numerous Christmas movies, piddled around the house, and did mini-projects. I did ride the tractor to the farm, and Rick did go get Mindi and the kids on the tractor so that they could come here to sled behind the mule on the ice.

3. Rickie had a medical procedure that kept him in home for two days. Rick F. fell on the ice and broke a couple of ribs in his back.

4. My boys did not come home during the holidays. This was a revelation to me on how God feels when we do not make time for Him. (Greg and Lisa went to Singapore to be with Chad and Tara.)

5. We did not buy presents for each other to exchange Christmas eve. This is major. We each bought two gift cards for prizes for the different games or activities throughout the night. A favorite was "Deal or No Deal."At one point, I thought this was a little sad not picking out the gift for that special person. However, it really turned out great. We had many laughs playing the games. Also, we did do a white elephant exchange.

6. Because of the ice storm, Santa was running behind. This is the first year since Justin was a toddler, that Santa did not come in the house with presents and for us to take pictures with him. This year he dropped the presents off, rang the doorbell, and left a note.

7. I got two nice lumps of coal for Christmas.

8. I went with Rick to his daughters' Christmas. We watched the grandchildren as they opened their presents. The excitement of children at Christmas warms my heart. The girls gave Rick and I retro lawn chairs that each of our families had while we were young growing up.

9. Because of my retirement, I had more time at home day and night, to enjoy my Christmas decorations.

10. I played with my DSLR camera and am trying to learn the different settings and lens.

11. Merry Joelle, our shelf on the elf, came for a visit during the holidays.

12. The birth of Christ, the reason for the season, was magnified more this Christmas than years past to me through our church services, no presents, and Diana and my visits to different people. Rick and I went to the Christmas Eve service, which was powerful. Bro. Jerry Scott portrayed a shepherd and told the story from the birth to the resurrection of Jesus.