Cleaning Is a BIG Part of Christmas

Is it not?

I mean... who wants to decorate on top of dirty?

or...

when we entertain - we have to pick up the clutter

and clean...

and when family comes in..

those clean sheets..

getting the bedrooms ready..

and the bathrooms.

I LOVE CLEAN!

Don't always have it - 'cause I don't always clean.

Today I'm cleaning.

Sarah's coming home tonight.

Mary Ann is coming tomorrow.

Kate came when John and Ada came, and, yes, I cleaned for my grandchildren.

Here's what Ada now says when she comes into my house for the first time after a long time away...

"It's so CWEAN!"

I get it ready for the big mess up that she and John and Ellie and Luke and Andrew will create.

Their creation of playing and imagining and exploring and eating and digging into my home.

So - today as I clean - I have thoughts.  Do you do that?

I've already vacuumed the kitchen and mopped it - before Kate waked up -

She'll be cooking some for Ann who will have Steve's parents for Christmas.

I wanted to get the floor clean for the new layer of drops and spills and tracks.

So - my thoughts -

Know what I ALWAYS think of when I mop?
This:
Once upon a time, while mopping, the phone rang.

It was Mary Bratton - this was a long time ago - and of course she asked, "What are you doing?"

But we continued to talk and I learned how cool it is to have a long phone conversation while mopping.

That's the best my floor was EVER mopped.  Because the conversation lasted longer than the mopping.

So I mopped and mopped and then did a very thorough rinse mop.  

and then did my foot dry.

(I'll explain below)

I have absolutely no idea what we talked about.  But it was probably about our children and some common thing that was going on in our active lives produced by having 2 and 4 children at home.

The Foot Dry.  

I get a towel or two hand towels or 2 large dry wash cloths.

I put my feet on these and slide all over the floor.

It not only dries the floor but picks up some remaining soil.

It gives one a good idea of just how stained the floor can get 

and how good, or not so good, it's been mopped.

Christmas gets us cleaning.

It's a steady task and it makes my thoughts go to other times 

when I made these same beds and dusted these same spots and handled these same possessions.

I remember people and days and events.

I consider the changes in our lives

and how we've evolved.

And before I know it,

I've gotten it done,

and I get to enjoy the completed task.

Sarah will be home around 9:00 p.m.

Christmas Update

Last Weekend on the 10th
I had the unique privilege of traveling to Clarkston, Georgia with Steve, Charlie, Ellie and Luke to handout blankets and other warm things as well as gift bags to immigrants from Burma and some other countries.  Our church family had collected/purchased and put together these things for 40 or 50 families.  The 5 of us had the fun task of handing them to these brave and dear people.  Our connect in Clarkston is my friend, Mary Emily Mulloy, along with her husband, Bob.  Mary Emily and I were friends and housemates in Auburn all the way back in 1973.  Long time ago.  

1.

In this photo I'm keeping Ellie warm underneath my jacket.

It looks like I'm smothering her.

For some reason she had taken her jacket off.

That's Steve handing a gift bag and blankets to a very sweet lady.

2.

Young man on the left is Tha-htoo.  He is a leader amongst his fellow Burmese friends.

He has been in the U.S. 3 1/2 years.  Was in a refugee camp in Thailand before coming to the states.

He is a hard worker and speaks English very well.

He was our director - getting us to those in need of what we brought.

2.

Ellie and Luke on the right.

These other children - aren't they adorable?

3.

My friend, Mary Emily, handing blankets to a very grateful lady.

4.

I love this picture.  Left to Right, Moo from Burma, Ellie from United States,

Moo's friend from Iraq, and Moo's friend from Somalia.

Four beautiful girls from all over the world.

This weekend, beginning on Thursday the 15th....

I met Laura Beth in Adairsville and picked up Ada and John.  Laura Beth and Scott drove to Scottsboro to join them on Saturday and they all left on Sunday after lunch.

And so began 2 nights and 2 days with Ada and John.

The days began very early - which is fine with me.

I get up early anyway.

My grandchildren own my house.

Any drawer is free game - especially the pen and pencil drawer.

Again, early Friday morning, still dark out.

Coffee tastes so very good that time of morning.

Around 10:00 on Friday Ada was anxiously awaiting the arrival of her cousins.

Ann had called to say they were en route.

She's dancing and twirling with excitement.

a brief stand still...

Finally here.

It all creates so much silliness - all that excitement.

And Ta Daaaaaaaahhhhh.

She worked her puzzle which I had for her to open.

They were so anxious to open just one gift.

I got them each a small puzzle for them to open and work.

I wanted more pictures.

But that would mean actually remembering to pick up the camera and clicking.

Kate drove home from North Carolina on Friday.

Laura Beth and Scott arrived on Saturday.

We had a modified Christmas meal on Saturday night, 

because that was our Christmas with Laura Beth and Scott - 

and 

On Sunday the 18th Abigail was dedicated to God by her parents.

Because Steve is our pastor and Abigail's daddy, Steve has to get someone else to do baby dedication for his children.  This time he asked Charlie to do it.  Unique, since Charlie is her granddaddy.

Charlie, Kate and I concluded Sunday evening with a trip to Birmingham

to see Briarwood Presbyterian's Christmas Program.

Beautiful!

It involved Choir/Orchestra/and Ballet celebrating the Gospel.

The joy of God's gift - God coming to us - to bring us to Him.

Redemption.

That's my Christmas so far.

December 23 and What Are You Doing?

Apparently most people are too busy to blog - so I assume too busy to read blogs.

I have to take small breaks.

I am no longer a Christmas Marathoner.  I'm not even a sprinter.  I do a little here - a little there - and take a break.  I used to go nonstop - back hurting - it's gotta get done no matter what.  I now know it doesn't have to get done no matter what - Well - some of it - like the laundry - the house staying reasonably picked up because it's just not very festive, to me, if there's more clutter than decorations - or if you can't see the decorations for all the clutter.  But I don't obsess.  I don't think I do.

What about you?  Are you breathing?  Enjoying the moment?  Is it maybe not your best Christmas?  Maybe your worst?  Maybe your best so far.

Things I've especially enjoyed already -

1. Seeing that movie with Sarah and Kate and Charlie - "How Do You Know" with Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Jack Nicholson
2. Spending the day with Sarah and Kate in Huntsville yesterday and the other day, last week when Kate went with me to Huntsville
3.  The times Ellie and Luke and Andrew have been here and having them add so much to the season just being my grandchildren.
4.  Anticipating when Ada and John get here on Christmas Day - having that to look forward to and knowing the way Ada will hug me - eventually - after she gets passsed the shy stage that she has been doing, lately.
5.  Being surprised last week when Yonea Chunn and her 4 girls came to my back door - and already expecting Beth and her girls and her grandchildren.
6.  Drinking out of my Christmas mugs.  My Vicki Carroll Christmas mugs.
7.  Having lunch with my friend, Mary Bratton - and having her and Mike and Ben over right after Thanksgiving for Shrimp - and kicking off the holidays with their company.
8. Traveling to Evergreen (I almost forgot) the first weekend in December and having a Christmas Party with friends and family there - and watching the SEC Championship game with them, also - and Auburn winning and looking forward to their playing in the National Championship Game.
9.  Having lunch twice with my friend, Sue Paulk, twice during this season - and she invited me and how nice it was for her to do that - joined by her friend and my new acquaintance, Jenny.
10.  Eating dinner at Ann's last night and so glad we were there especially when she found out that Steve couldn't get home for dinner - responsibilities at work - and our being able to help her with end of the day "stuff" - Ann makes the BEST lasagna.  and Charlie makes the BEST salad.  and being there with her when Andrew tumbled down the stairs.  Awful sound and moment.  He was okay - but so scary.
11.  Each Sunday when I get to church and how nice to have that fellowship and the people there - that connection.  Our Church Christmas dinner and having my friend, Jean, go with me and our sitting with Mary at the table and how pretty it all was.  and the Christmas Program by the children last Sunday - and all that Steve teaches out of Galatians.
12.  Reading in Kate's blog of her trip to New York and how much she was loving it.
13.  Finally knowing that Sarah was getting relief from the pain and sickness of her Kidney Stones and knowing that Charlie arrived in New Orleans safely to get her and when I heard they had made it to Evergreen and when they came in the back door on Sunday.
14.  All the small moments when I've had quiet time to myself, drinking in good health and the life I have, and the safety of it and the love within it.

So - Mary Ann is on her way today - tonight we're eating at Cantina Laredo in Huntsville.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and our Candlelight Service.  Afterwards, soup at my house and the excitement of Ellie and Luke as they open "just one gift".

and on Christmas Day - the Moores arrive with Ada and John - 

and our dinner that evening with the whole family here.

It will be fun chaos, and fun tired bones and eyes, and funny things said and done, and, I hope, yummy food - if I don't mess up the Prime Rib Roast I'll be cooking.

Oh - and I forgot 

15.  I've loved every Christmas Card I've found in the mailbox and every package that arrived on time and the fun of opening what I've ordered.