Christmas here was beautiful and loud and fun. Five children, ranging from 1 month old to 10 years and five adults came downstairs to Santa's gifts and breakfast in the morning. We added another child and five more adults for dinner. In between there was much loud playing and exclaiming over new toys and goodies.
Santa brought the girls wonderful gifts. Jilli had two specific requests; an umbrella and Baloo the bear (from Jungle Book). She received both from Santa (Baloo and Mowgli in a snow globe as Jungle Book is not, umm, readily available these days to the big man.) Not surprisingly Rory's favorite gift was a curly silver ribbon on one of her gifts and all the paper she could eat before I rudely scarped it out of her mouth. Rory prematurely opened a few gifts earlier in the week but come Christmas morning was preoccupied with other issues. Jilli stepped in and "showed Rory how to open her gifts" by unwrapping each one for her. Spending the day with Christian, Makenna and Emery made for the best memories; all five kids in one place, seeing Christian help Jilli with packages or new things, watching Jilli and Makenna dance and take picture after picture with Jilli's new camera, seeing Rory gently touch Emery's face....
Though it was my intention to give a few special things, everyone received many, many gifts (all special) from us, family and friends. I donated several large bins of toys before the holiday, in part to make room and in part to share the wealth. But Christmas morning I was reminded, as I so often am, of the simple joys of family that have nothing to do with boxes and bows. In the coming year and indeed, next holiday season, we will buy less and do more; more handmade, more cookies, more singing 'Little Rangers' and looking at lights, more The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and certainly more sharing with those who have so much less than we were given. We will remember that the most special times over the past week were when we were together; in any combination of family, young or old, and any number of people between two and sixteen.
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