The Best Gifts
I got the best gifts for Christmas this year ... and they started coming before Christmas Eve.
On the 23rd, because he couldn't contain his enthusiasm anymore, I got a BEAUTIFUL patchwork skirt made by my husband. The reason I was Kicked Out a couple times. And not only did I get the handcrafted skirt, but time to myself not once, but twice. And not only that, but I got a husband who for days on end exclaimed how excited he was for me to open my gift and couldn't possibly hold out one more day for me to open it on Christmas Eve.
I received one of my five-and-a-half-year-old daughter's favorite dolls, Jett Mae, as a sharing gift, just because she wanted to share with me something she loves so dearly.
I received the gift of music at worship, in the car, at home, in church choir, sung by me, by my kids, in Christmas movies, and in flashmob Youtube videos. And I got to sing with the cutest member of our church choir, who also happens to be my daughter.
A visit to my ninety-four year old grandmother proved to be a wonderful blessing. The look of pure joy at the sight of all five of my children - her great-grandchildren - made my entire year.
I got to give my husband most legendary gifts ... a stealth ninja squirrel and corresponding magnet; a fabulous shirt; Magic the Gathering Cards (and apparently among them a mythic rare); stickers for such awesomeness as Puzzles, Metro News 1, Ranjit's Transportation Services, MacLaren's, and Robin Sparkles Mall Tour 1993; and a ducky tie. The ducky tie. (We may have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with really like HIMYM.)
My kids received their "favorite Christmas afternoon" gifts - video games for the teen boys, fish bowl and accessories for the eleven year old girl, LOTS of Legos for the eight-and-a-half-year-old and a dissection kit and date with Gramma to go see Bodies Revealed at the CT Science Center for the five-and-a-half-year-old. Yes, you read that correctly. A dissection kit. She's obsessed with it and can't wait to use it.
But for me, the best gift was time. Time with my grandmother. Time with my husband, my kids, my parents, my sister and her family, my best friend/adopted sister, my aunt, my church family. Time to focus on the joy of the Birth. Time to wrap myself in the warmth of God's love for all of us.
On the 23rd, because he couldn't contain his enthusiasm anymore, I got a BEAUTIFUL patchwork skirt made by my husband. The reason I was Kicked Out a couple times. And not only did I get the handcrafted skirt, but time to myself not once, but twice. And not only that, but I got a husband who for days on end exclaimed how excited he was for me to open my gift and couldn't possibly hold out one more day for me to open it on Christmas Eve.
I received one of my five-and-a-half-year-old daughter's favorite dolls, Jett Mae, as a sharing gift, just because she wanted to share with me something she loves so dearly.
I received the gift of music at worship, in the car, at home, in church choir, sung by me, by my kids, in Christmas movies, and in flashmob Youtube videos. And I got to sing with the cutest member of our church choir, who also happens to be my daughter.
A visit to my ninety-four year old grandmother proved to be a wonderful blessing. The look of pure joy at the sight of all five of my children - her great-grandchildren - made my entire year.
A somewhat unexpected gift was the joy on my children's faces when they opened their gifts from my husband and I - "sleeping blankets" we (ok, my husband) sewed from two large pieces of super soft fleece. Owls for Haley, skulls for Alia, snakes for Coren, and different color tye-dye for Zachary and Alex. They climbed in and or wrapped themselves up in them right away.
My kids received their "favorite Christmas afternoon" gifts - video games for the teen boys, fish bowl and accessories for the eleven year old girl, LOTS of Legos for the eight-and-a-half-year-old and a dissection kit and date with Gramma to go see Bodies Revealed at the CT Science Center for the five-and-a-half-year-old. Yes, you read that correctly. A dissection kit. She's obsessed with it and can't wait to use it.
But for me, the best gift was time. Time with my grandmother. Time with my husband, my kids, my parents, my sister and her family, my best friend/adopted sister, my aunt, my church family. Time to focus on the joy of the Birth. Time to wrap myself in the warmth of God's love for all of us.
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