Some highlights of Christmas at Justin and Leah's were -
The drive to and from with Caleb - lots of time to catch up on each other's lives and just talk about life. Very enjoyable, I love the man that Caleb is becoming. We ended up taking two cars so Rod and Kenny had similar time together.
Seeing Justin and Leah when we got to Cranbrook and the effort they had gone to in their preparations for our visit. They are both looking so good.
Having Keiran ask me at almost every meal if I would sit beside him, an honor indeed.
Having Forrest go from making strange the last time he saw me to crawling towards me this time and reaching up for me to hold him; also having his entire face light up with his smile when I walked into the room. (He didn't do this just for me, but I really loved that he did do it for me).
Having Keiran reach over and hold my hand at Christmas eve supper, he has a very special way that he likes to hold hands and it has to be 'just right'.
Having Keiran ask me if I would 'like to be a girl' after he heard that there were too many guys to play pictionary and one of them would have to be a girl to make the teams even.;)
Helping Lilly write her letter to Santa on Christmas Eve and seeing how well she can read and write now, even though she is only in Grade One.
Watching a husband and wife and mother-in-law put a play kitchen together as time got later on Christmas Eve and they became more tired. All completed in harmony with the common purpose as the focal point. This should be part of a pre-marriage course ;)
Trying to fill in a little for Santa for Leah's stocking only to find that Santa had things under control without my assistance. Leah's stocking arrived filled to overflowing with a note from Santa explaining that he must be getting old and had forgotten that she had grown up and had children of her own, that he had brought her stocking to her mother's (Kass's) house by mistake but that he would ask Kass to deliver it to Leah for him this year.
Watching Keiran's eyes light up when he looked over at the fireplace mantle on Christmas morning and realized that Santa had come and filled the stockings. He was trembling with excitement.
Spending a very leisurely Christmas morning with the family, no rush for the presents to be opened, playing with and watching them being played with and enjoyed before more presents were opened.
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| Keiran with his new tool bench and accessories - say 'cheese' |
The wonderful Christmas meal and enjoying it together with the combined families.
Holding Forrest and playing with Keiran this morning while Rod and Lilly were downstairs keeping busy serving all their 'restaurant customers' in the new kitchen.
Coming home to a Christmas card from Justin and Leah and family with a beautiful picture of Lilly smiling at us as we opened it.
All of this more than made up for the fact that I felt less than optimal health-wise while away. I am not quite at the place where I am gracefully accepting not being able to be in the thick of Christmas activitives such as preparing and cleaning up after meals. Requiring afternoon naps with the children in order to be able to stay up past 9 p.m. can make a person feel very old. I know that this too will pass and I am looking forward to better health in 2013. In the meantime, I am grateful.
Take care everyone.
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