Christmas Magic

Well, I managed to run into a little Christmas magic just in the nick of time.  This shouldn't surprise me.  After all, it seems like every year, right before Christmas--like on the 22nd or 23rd--I finally find the magic I've been looking for.  This year, it happened like this:

Ever since like 2014 (when we almost skipped Christmas because we were so bad) we have done a Christmas service project on Christmas day.  And it has been truly wonderful--seriously.   This year, on the Saturday before Christmas (the 23rd?)  Brian texted a bunch of people and invited them to join us at the Stone's house for some service.   Brian led a crew of men helping Mark tear the remaining old shingles off the house and begin work on the new trim and siding, and another large group of us worked in the yard.  There were so many wonderful people there who answered the call text and came ready and eager to work.   The kids all worked happily alongside their friends and it was just so wonderful.

While we were working, Nancy texted to ask if anyone wanted to come to her house for lunch.  When we were finished, Liz Hughes and Chad Clement and I decided to take her up on her offer, so we (and all of our kids) headed over there, left our dirty boots at the door and went in to enjoy lunch together. Nancy's house is so fun anyway, but with all of us piled in there with her family, it was especially...magical.   She whipped us up a lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and dip, and ice-cream and we all sat around eating and visiting.

After we left, the kids and I headed home (Brian was still working at the Stone's.)  I cleaned up a bit and made some Italian sausage vegetable soup and sugar cookies.  The kids helped me with the cookies and worked on art projects in the office.

Later on, the kids and I piled into the car and headed out to Londi's house for a Christmas open-house.  Have you ever been to Londi's house?  It is an awesome a-frame cabin in the forest that smells like Christmas all year long.  So perfect.

When we got home, we had an informal open house of our own.  The Wondras, Mitchells, Jensens, and Hughes all stopped in to have some soup and cookies and hang out for a while.

Anyway, like I said, the day was magical.  I was surrounded by people I love--all having fun--and celebrating Christmas.

Perhaps one of the biggest contributors to that day being so special, though, was the fact that Brian was happy.    Unfortunately, these days, Brian doesn't seem happy very often.  But that day, he seemed happy.   He was doing his thing--working and serving--and he seemed happy.  He wasn't with us at Nancy's or Londi's houses, and I wasn't with him for most of the day, but he was in the back ground, happy, and that made all the difference.  It was an answer to my prayers--the best of my Christmas gifts.

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On Christmas day, after we opened gifts and Brian and I had a nap, our family headed back over to the Stone's to finish up by spreading bark in the yard and then we headed over to the park to play.