So This is Christmas

"So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

So this is Christmas... If it were not for Kathryn and Stephen this house would still not be decorated. They got the tree down from the attic. Stephen put the lights on. We all decorated it and then a week later Stephen and Kathryn put the wreaths on the windows.

The tree looks nice. The wreaths need work...I don’t even care that they are crooked, need fluffing or whatever... It is just not important to me this year. To me they look fine…..they are up. Kathryn and Stephen took action with love...maybe I will fix them if they want too.

Mary Elizabeth is so excited about Santa Clause coming to Nana and Grandpa's house this year and her three year old excitement is brings us all Christmas Joy.

It is true, this year has been a tough one…..a very tough one. But, in a strange way, I hate to see it end. I will be happy to get the Christmas Season behind us and then maybe the business will pick up.

I hope. 

Things have just been terrible with this business this year, which is just hard enough. But, this other thing is the real kicker. So, in reality, I just hate to see the year end.  

Here is the way I look at, simply:
 
This was the year our father lived…. 
 
This was the year we got to take care of him. 
This was the year we got to see true courage in both my mother and my father. 
This was the year we learned about life and death. 
This was the year we learned about true love. 
This was the year we learned how to die with courage and dignity.
This was the year we learned how to let go with honor and respect. 
This is the year we got to honor both of our parents. 
This was the year we learned about ever lasting life. 
This was the year we saw love happen.
It was given to us freely from family and friends we didn’t realize we had. 
We saw true character come out in these people… real kindness, real love, real friendships. …

It is ALL truly amazing.

I know our Father will be celebrating Christmas this year, now and forever in a big way. Our parents have always loved this time of year. They have always gone out of there way to make the Season a time of real love, joy and true celebration. And that is what we are trying very hard to do.

So the trees are up, the houses are decorated, the Christmas music is being played, and the shopping is….getting done…the baking is starting…well, it will be….and the Celebration has begun.

Ready or Not…Here IT Comes.

So this is Christmas….What have we done???

We have truly loved. We are a family of survivors. We are strong. We are many and in a strange way we are one. It will be a wonderful Christmas….and a wonderful New Year.

"And so this is Christmas And what have we done Another year over And a new one just begun"

Happy Christmas Everyone