Christmas Wrap-up

Oh no! Ethan called on Monday and said they wouldn't be able to make it here for Christmas because of snowy weather and road closures. But yippee, he called back on Tuesday, and said they were on their way! We've been jingle-bell-rockin' ever since. Without these two exuberant little girls around, it might have been hard to hang onto the joy of Christmas, because a dear brother-in-law/uncle was emergently hospitalized in the wee hours of Monday morning with a serious illness. After several tense days and five hours of surgery, the news is looking brighter, and we're almost ready to believe we've beheld an honest-to-goodness Christmas miracle. We are rejoicing with you, Lonnie and Julie. Hurray for you, and hurray for all of us who love you!

Without Missy, we might have been subsisting on pizza, oranges and bananas this week. I have had one doozie of a cold and wasn't up to spending much time in the kitchen. Pumpkin biscuits were my one and only culinary contribution. Oh wait, I did make the broccoli for our Christmas dinner of ham and mashed potatoes, etc. and I did get Dan to fill the piñata with candy after Missy's tasty tamale dinner last night.

Ethan and Colin and I went to the cemetery on Christmas day. It's good to see that brotherly camaraderie the brothers have with Jordan. Colin wiped the snow from the headstone and the wreath we'd placed there a couple of weeks ago, and then he threw a snowball, and said, "Wanna have a snowball fight, Jordan?" Ethan said, "Looks like Colin won that one." We sang Silent Night, and said a prayer, and talked a little, light-heartedly, just as if Jordan were there with us. It gave me such a sense of peace to know we had made him part of our Christmas. He has to know he is still, and will always be, a treasured part of this family.

What a wonderful Christmas we have had together. Ethan and Missy left for home this morning, but had to turn back because of more road closures. They will keep checking, but they may not be able to make a break for it until Monday. Woe are they, but happy are we. And now, may God bless us, every one, all the whole year through.