Christmas Reflections

Christmas with my family was full of surprise, rest, and good food. It started with Christmas eve at the church. We had a sweet candlelight service and then the four of us went to the beloved Harbor House for breakfast at night. For those of you who are not familiar with this area, the Harbor House is in Sunset Beach on PCH and boasts of very old wooden tables, vintage movie posters and a menu busting with a million ways to have an omelette complete with country potatoes, hash browns, or onion rings. We played the Movie Title game, this time beginning with the letter B. As much of a movie buff as I am you think I would last longer than 5 rounds. But no, it was Gaby and her father lasting into the wee hours of the morning listing off movie titles starting with the letter B. Following our breakfast feast we traveled to the only place open for cheap T0 Go coffee- AM/PM and traveled through a nearby neighborhood where Christmas lights are famous for miles around.

Christmas morning always greets me with my boy up first. "Merry Christmas! Time to get up and open presents!" Only thing is, that tradition began with footie pajamas and blonde curls some 15 years ago and now while saying the same words (with the same toddler voice) I have a 17 1/2 year old big bearded man in boxers beckoning me on Christmas morning.

We began drawing names between the four of us a few years ago when the kids suggested it. At midnight on Christmas eve Gaby said something that made me think someone had mistaken who they had with someone else and someone was going to be without a gift. But, alas, no. It was my husband AGAIN that had tricked me into thinking he had someone he didn't have. So, again, everyone was duped or surprised on Christmas morning to find out who their Santa was. It is a great way to keep the mystery, simplicity, and fun in Christmas when the children are...well, no longer children. They now have jobs and can own their own Christmas experience of giving and receiving.

Perhaps the most fun surprise of the morning was when Guy went to the fridge to pull out the sausage for his famous holiday sausage gravy cooking. He discovered I had mistakenly brought home the FIREHOUSE sausage instead of the regular. He cooked it up anyway, added more flour and milk, and it was the best ever. Emily, who is like a daughter to us, came for breakfast and the Firehouse special. It was quite the feast complete with Christmas plates, warm biscuits, homemade jam (to offset the spice) and red goblets filled with orange juice. Tea followed breakfast...a favorite ritual at the Grimes house.

It has been an interesting 2008. We have each grown in our own one step forward, two steps back fashion, but on the whole, we are striving toward the goal. The goal of acquiring the prize of Christ. For some, we take the more difficult routes, but I believe the difficult routes will take us there as well...Prayer for one another has taught me much. So, for all 5 of you who might read this blog, I bid you to keep striving as well, and pray...trust in Christ...in Christ alone.

Merry Christmas and may your 09 be blessed with a deeper and sweeter knowledge of Him.