It has been an amazing Christmas season starting with great worship on Christmas Eve while surrounded by wonderful friends and now I’ve just ended a marvelous New Years Eve celebration with my youngest brothers and sisters, cousins, and some long time friends!
Christmas Day saw all of us children together for the first time in almost a whole year, which is very sad but was also just completely joyous! I suppose this is the part of us older kids growing up… I definitely always seem to be off at some meeting, busy with school, or engaging in some piece of ministry… so I’m not helping with the "being present often" task!! So, we took the advantage of being together and got a few family pictures taken. The weather was fall-like with no snow in site so our pictures look like they were taken in the fall. But they turned out really good, yes, of course our group pictures did not have everyone looking in the same place at once and so on and so forth… but there are eight of us – one can only ask for so many miracles at a time!
I spent the days after Christmas sleeping, playing with the children, being the big-sister/house-making type person, and reading. Oh how completely lovely it was to read novels that are not on a required reading list… it has been months since I delved into such pleasure! Reminded me of how important and amazing it is!
I came back to my house in Kamloops on Wednesday hoping to run some errands but ended up sleeping almost the whole entire day, I must have needed it. And it didn’t help that a horrible headache took over. Ah, well as I was reminded a day of “nothingness” can be important every once in a while! So Thursday was my massive “prepare for New Years Eve” day and it was exhausting… the stores were packed full of people – and we all know how much I enjoy that…
So, New Years Eve this year… well, I hosted what I have been informed is the annual party this year at my place in Kamloops. So I currently have my four youngest siblings, three cousins, and two long time friends at my house taking over beds and floor space… I have somehow been kicked out of my bed and bedroom and sent to the air mattress on the living room floor. 3:00am and I am still hearing moments of laughter and the sounds of distant movies playing. Now I wonder, will they sleep in? And when will I be required to make breakfast?
Ah, it is all in great joy and we’ve made wonderful memories. Shared dinner, laughed lots, watched movies, played games, ate way too many snacks, and rang in the New Year with our sticker decorated wine glasses and sparkling juice! It was great!
Now… maybe sleep? I’ll share pictures from tonight when I can think properly again…
