The kitchen is filled with the smells of coffee, roast chicken, cookie dough, lefse, and red wine. We have been eating constantly since our arrival: caramels, peanut butter cups, sugar cookies, turtles, ginger snaps, krumkake, and lefse, not to mention the enormous 4-course meals my mother has prepared for us 3 times a day...
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| There's a saying in my family: "Too many butts in the kitchen" I'm getting the evil eye from Seth! |
Eight of us are gathered in the house today: 1 with a contagious disease, 2 with plain old colds, 2 with stomach flu, 1 with a migraine, 1 with an injured eyeball, and 1 who is strangely calm and serene despite the calamitous racket her home has become for the past two days. But at least we are together. We are giggling and bickering and getting in each others' way and enjoying each others' company. Grandma & Grandpa have taken every opportunity to spoil the grandkids, (who just so happen to be in that "I feel so much better now, that I'm going to be a huge pill to remind you just how energetic I can be when I'm not sick" stage), but we finally managed to get them down for a nap (threats of "it's still not too late to tell Santa to turn back" still work on them at this age). My auntie & her family will arrive shortly, and we will bring Grandma out to celebrate with us tonight as well. We are preparing for tonight's celebration: church at 4:00, dinner at 6:00, rip into the gifts at 7:00, music at 8:00, rowdy card / board games at 9:00, pass right out from all the excitement at 10:00.
Christmas has arrived.
This is family.
This is true joy.
This is home.
And I am so grateful for this home. Built by my grandparents over 50 years ago, it kept me safe and warm for 18 years and welcomes me with its familiar walls when I return for a visit. It feels big and warm and loving, like a big hug when you need it most. I know it's not the house itself that makes it feel this way, it's the people in it.
Today, my donation will go to Habitat for Humanity. So that others may find the same kind of joy that I have found with the blessings of a house, which when full of people you love, becomes home.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Thanks for reading my blog, and for coming along on this little journey I set out to write about. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to those of you who reached out in your own way to help those who were in need.
At times, it was tough to come up with something to write about… there are SO many worthy causes out there, sadly, so many people that need help... It was hard to make a choice. But I started this whole thing because I was so moved by the generosity of the people around me, and realized that it doesn't take a lot to make a big difference. Whether a gift of time, of resources, of money, or of yourself, if we all gave a little bit we would reap so much in return. So I urge you to continue beyond this holiday season. And I will too. Because I had a lot to give, and nothing to lose.
So here's a little recap for you (just imagine me singing this in my Santa outfit while holding my 'nog, belting at the top of my lungs:)
Twelve Drummers Drumming
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Fiiiiiiive Goooooldeeeen Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiings...
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
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