The Settling of the Dust

Christmas Day has come and gone once again and we're taking a breather (of sorts) before the party begins again. Jim and Michele will arrive late tonight (or maybe early tomorrow morning...) along with our youngest grandson. If all goes according to plan, Grandmanita will arrive tomorrow night, but she is fighting a respiratory ailment of some kind, so only time will tell if she'll make it tomorrow. Our hope is that she will be here to see Jim and Michele and meet Austin.

We had a houseful for Christmas; five of our kids and five grandchildren. The house went from quiet and still to loud and bustling within a matter of minutes as family members arrived. We ate lasagna, cookies, and cake, listened to music, played with children, and opened a few gifts. I sneaked in a few hugs and kisses wherever I could catch a smiling child. After several hours of noise and excitement, a calm slowly began to descend and the quiet and still returned.

Saturday evening is our planned family Christmas Party. This one will require a small bit of furniture rearranging if we are to fit everyone into the house with a little bit of room to move around. The house that look open and empty when we moved in 12 years ago has been filled to capacity. We're going to be cozy and I am going to love having everyone together for this brief moment in time. My only other wish is for one family photo with everyone in it and another of all my grandchildren. It'll be the first time we have them all in one place.