My Four Christmases

My First Christmas of 2009:
"Only Love" choir presentation...beautiful Christmas trees, lights of all colors, majestic music like "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" with only violin and piano and choir, Irish dancers and choir doing "A Celtic Christmas", huge nativity scene, children's choir singing "Christmastime", singing "The Hallelujah Chorus" at mach 1 speed! This Christmas is my personal one every year...this is the way I get ready for the season...in amazing, worshipful music.

My Second Christmas of 2009:
Family Christmas Party...Presents piled high around a beautiful red and gold tree at my mom's, children, grandchildren, and a great-grandchild making 17 people as we eat, sing carols, open presents, eat dessert, just sit and talk. A wonderful time. We end it with the ladies singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in a beautiful arrangement as my sister plays for us. That's tradition! Sometimes we sound great, other times not so great! Ha.

My Third Christmas of 2009:
This takes place on Christmas Eve: We start the evening at our church for the candlelight service. I'm always a little worried since I am responsible for ordering the candles in October and getting them ready for the big night. I hope there's enough...there always is. We have a big crowd, out-of-town family members reunite with old friends, the church is beautiful, there's a children's story, beautiful music, and finally, the candles are lit as we sing all the verses of "Silent Night". This year was especially sweet as I had a little granddaughter to hold. Unfortunately, she was burning with fever with the beginning of a rough Christmas for her with a visit to urgent care on the day after Christmas. Despite that, the evening was lovely, the poinsettias decorating the church were so bright and beautiful.

My Fourth Christmas of 2009:
My home, just the three of us (hubby, son, and me) opening presents, getting a turkey in the oven and loving that smell all morning as it baked, gathering up our gifts for the baby, the daughter and son-in-law, and hauling turkey and all over to their house for a delicious Christmas lunch of turkey, stuffing, sweet potato souffle, and green bean casserole. My daughter gave me a beautiful mother-daughter pendant that I will always treasure. Again the baby was burning with fever, a call was put in to the dr. who recommended an urgent care visit the next day.

Christmas is over...at least the usual celebrating...but I will enjoy these memories all year with my pictures and albums full of the fun times! Through it all, was the knowing that the reason for all of this joy and family time is Jesus. That's all! He is sufficient.