Saturday morning I started with water aerobics (just love when I do that!) and spent most of the middle part of the day painting with Sandy at the pottery store. This is the second year that I've made our families' gifts for our neighbors by choosing a piece and painting different ones (to try :) to match the decorating colors / style of each of our dear precious neighbors. Last year I chose pistachio bowls, this year I chose _____ (can't spoil the surprise now!). They'll be ready to pick up after their two firings on Friday night.
Ryan & Drew both worked all day Saturday & Sunday, so they had busy weekends as well. Trey & Sean got in lots and lots of play time with friends, including a competitive monopoly game.
Saturday evening we had a most awesome Christmas, Bronco game, potluck party at our neighbors Henry & Susan's house (they are Kaitlin & Bridget's mom and dad who are the little girls in the yellow jacket picture in Trey's post way down below). What a great evening of chatter, laughs, and rooting on the Broncos to their now 11-4 season. It was such a fun crowd ~ in addition to the hosts and in order of our houses ~ Robyn & Darold drove over from Golden ~ Harp, Julie, Bailey & Sam ~ Our Family ~ Jules, Brian & Jake ~ Jack, Michaelann, Benjamin & Baby Braeden ~ Tim & Joan ~ Brad, Inger, Hannah, Ingrid, Lars, Bria & Britta. An all-time memorable laugh from the evening went like this:
Sherrie: Julie, can we have another rehearsal before we go caroling next Friday night?
Julie: I'll have to check my schedule, my parents are coming in and there's lots on the calendar.
Sherrie: If you could fit it in, that would be great - It would be really good for Sean and I
Dave: Do you really think it would help?
Ha, ha, ha!! Yes, Dave did go running from the kitchen to take refuge in the family room after that crack!
After we went home, I realized I had forgot to bring three really neat 2001 pictures to Henry & Susan that I had run across when working on Ryan's senior page. I walked the pictures down to them and we shared a few fond memories and words. As I walked back up the street, it was ever so lightly snowing, cold and crisp, and fairly bright because of the light reflecting off the low clouds. I walked slowly and just pondered how wonderful life is, how fabulous our neighbors are, how blessed we are to live here. I was in wonderous praise with my Lord.
Henry & Susan cuddling at camp at Winding River in 2001
Most everyone from the 'hood (and Robyn & Darold!) who joined us on this same Winding River camping trip.
Susan meeting our new cocker spaniel Haley on Christmas day 2001 when she arrived as my present from Dave ~ aren't Susan and Haley so cute!Sunday morning we bundled up for Sunday School and had such a great time of prayer, a wonderful Christmas lesson from Larry (he taught since Dave B was out of the country), and great visiting with old and new friends. In a little sliver of the afternoon Saturday & Sunday, Dave and I finished up some catalogue /online Christmas shopping for the kiddos. I'm getting so excited ~ I love Christmas!
Sunday afternoon was another holiday party, this time in Castle Rock at our dear friends Jim & Deana's house. They have 3 boys exactly the same ages as our oldest boys and our families have been close for several years. Deana had been baking since Tuesday and the Christmas open house was festive & delightful. It is so special to get together to celebrate this wonderous season with dear friends. Logan (their oldest son) and our Ryan are planning on rooming together at CU Boulder next fall. As a hostess gift to the party, I brought them a picture of their family from a 2001 camping trip we shared as well, here it is:
Logan, Tyler & Christian have grown so much in the last four years since this picture was taken!
After the party, but before services Sunday night, I went to a meeting at church to plan the details of re-launching the "Grace Cafe" after 6.00 Sunday evening services. Deana told everyone to make sure I didn't volunteer her for everything, but of course we did :) Everyone has so missed the food and fellowship that the Grace Cafe provided from 7.30-8.30 so we are going to bring it back. Deana and I were particularly interested in participating because this seemed to be such a draw and blessing to the teens and their attendance at church has decreased since the cafe's haitus began in March. And it will be such a fun team because Sandy is going to be part of it, as well as Colleen (our shepherding leader Hanna C's mom :) and a new gentleman named Dave who is a twenty-something single recently moved to Denver from New York... we're pretty pumped about the great team and being able to bless others by making this happen. Pastor Paul's service after the meeting was once again wonderful and inspiring and our worship time was sweet.
Christian (Jim & Deana's youngest) spent the night and unplanned / unexpectedly the door would open through the evening with another teen or two coming on over until there were about 10 of them. Some played pool, the guys played video games, and most enjoyed hot chocolate. Dave was a Christmas present wrapping fiend and between making more hot chocolate and bringing down snacks for the teens, I re-made the lists and checked them twice to ensure that we don't miss anything in this last push toward Christmas Day!
My mom arrives from Tucson on Wednesday the 21st, we have a second set of Broncos tickets for Saturday the 24th, we have are most wonderful Christmas Eve dinner at Robyn & Darold's after the game, and Christmas on Sunday will include the Chronicles of Narnia in the afternoon and services at 6pm. A fun week in store!
1 comment:
I thought this article's comment on the 'competitive nature of baby boomers' was an interesting insight to Holiday Stress ... My prayer for you is that you let go of any such nonsense and just love on those around you!
http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_3319486 -- Article Launched: 12/19/2005
Stress hits the naughty and nice
- Leslie Lyon
So what's behind all the holiday histrionics?
Weren't we all working to eliminate "holiday stress"? (Google that phrase, and you'll find more than 15 million entries.)
Candace Harris of Denver, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in family issues, says the competitive nature of baby boomers drives much of the craziness surrounding the holidays.
"That's how some people play out the internal stress, with this competitive gotta-make-the-holidays-magical-and-special thinking," she says.
"There are increased expectations that people go into the holidays with. It's such a setup to become out of balance in terms of activity and spending and food and alcohol - everything is out of balance. It's all kind of this wild ride that's sanctioned."
That part harks back to childhood - the fantasy of Christmas as experienced by children.
"It's an escape. ... Christmas is like this time out of time where you can create this fairyland and everybody becomes more childlike, because it's a child-centered holiday. ... It's about getting presents, having your wishes come true."
But what if they don't?
"Once you get into December, people either hide out till the holidays are over, or they go at this incredible pace and get all caught up in it, trying to meet their own and other people's expectations about what to do over holidays, then they crash in January. That's when my phone rings."
Here's her advice about how to keep it simple and keep those holiday blues at bay:
Be conscious of potential for holidays to generate disappointment and possible depression or anxiety. Make decisions as to how you want to plan your time.
Go to fewer parties, go late and leave early, drink less, and stick to a budget so you won't be resentful because you spent so much.
Breathe. It is a great time to talk to someone if you are in a pattern of getting really stressed out and crashing.
Make it more of a spiritual time - and give yourself the gift of tenderness and compassion.
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