Sometimes it is a blessing in disguise when the winds are gusting cold and brisk at 45 miles per hour. It forces us to just relax, retreat into the house and reflect on the highlights of the day before. Monday was such a day.
My husband and I were given the opportunity to sit and reflect on the highlights of Christmas day. Just sitting here now, thinking about it, brings a smile to my lips. I can close my eyes and replay certain scenes in my head and enjoy them all over again.
The day started early with getting the turkey in the oven and the woodstove fired up for the day. Once that was accomplished my husband and I sat in the dark living room waiting for the rest of the household to wake up.
The two grandkids were first, of course, and came sleepily into the living room, dragging blankets and stuffed animals behind them. They snuggled in close. It is a wonderful thing to sit in a semi-dark living room with a lap full of grandkids, and the warm glow of a woodstove and the lights of a Christmas tree for company.
It did not take long and we were joined by their parents. After that the busy day began. We did take time to enjoy a hot chocolate party before the rest of the family arrived. (The hot chocolate party was an effective Grandma bribe to get them into bed the night before.)
Once everyone else had arrived, hugs exchanged, and Christmas greetings given, it was decided to open gifts before we had dinner. No one was really too hungry anyway, after spending the morning snacking on Christmas cookies, cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate.
Opening gifts is always a bit of a challenge due to the gift labeling system we use in our home. It has become a tradition that instead of names on the labels on our gifts, we have random stamped images. This started years ago when our sons were small and could not (or would not) leave their gifts alone.
With this system I have my notebook in hand, with corresponding stamped images and names so that everyone gets the correct gift. Once my sons got older, got married and moved into homes of their own; I thought I would be able to start putting the names on the gifts….not so. They voted to stay with tradition and the stamped images of leaves, penguins, trees, etc. continues.
Gifts were opened, dinner was enjoyed, rousing games of foosball were played. Naps were taken (not by small children), lego sets were built, cookies were consumed (in mass quantities by small children), books were read, and the day was liberally sprinkled with laughter, good-natured ribbing, and an amazing dose of love that was so tangible that you felt you could reach out and touch it.
The only thing that would have made the day any better would have been to have my other daughter-in-law here. She was back home with the stomach flu.
The day was a blessing and was bathed in that love that comes from shared joys, shared sorrows, and shared lives. it was the joy that comes from being with those you love and that love you back no matter what.
It was the sense of family that is rooted in a deeper truth that there is One who loves us even more than we could possibly love each other. The love of the One who came to earth so long ago in human form as a baby and gave His life so we might have life eternal.
May the joy of this season remain with you longer than this season is celebrated. May you be blessed by the One who loves you so much.
I am going to leave you with a less than serious ending to this post. It just seemed fitting that as the Chicken Grandma, I should somehow involve the “girls”(or at least their cartoon counterparts) in this Christmas post.
And may you even be blessed by the silliness of chickens clucking Christmas songs! They may not deserve a standing ovation but they are pretty fun!
Time was with most of us, when Christmas Day, encircling all our limited world like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek;
bound together all our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes;
grouped everything and everyone round the Christ
Charles Dickens quotes
Read more: http://www.searchquotes.com/quotes/about/Family_Christmas/2/#ixzz4U4lj9wzH
Thank goodness for the chickens! I was ready to cry out loud and then you made me laugh! I miss Christmas when my children are home!
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I just could not pass up the “cluck of the bells”. Someone sent that to me on Facebook and I was saving it for the Christmas post :). I am so glad it hit you funny too!
It was a great blessing of a day.
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A perfect Christmas story of family, enjoyment, and love. Very nice post. Grandchildren make Christmas so wonderful. Love the chickens singing their Christmas Carol. Lol
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Grandchildren do give another perspective to Christmas. I love their wonder and enjoyment of life and especially Christmas.
I just could not pass up the chickens!
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Loved the chickens, a perfect ending. Lol
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what a beautiful reflection and pictures grandma! lol @ naps were taken not by small children haha, you sure had a beautiful time with your family. Hope your other daughter in law feels better now
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It was a wonderful day! Spoke with my daughter in law and fortunately it is a fast stomach flu bug…..it just hit at the wrong time.
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Good to know she is better, if only one could decide when to get sick:-)
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So clever, cute and funny with your chickens! It isn`t Christmas without family get togetherness. Your family is really growing too. Love to see them on FB. Blessings to all!
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Loved seeing your pictures of family also!
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How I enjoyed your Christmas Day! You have the gift of telling things in just the right way. Thanks for the photos, too, so that we had a peek at your family on that special day.
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I thought of you when I wrote this. I thought of how I always enjoy your pictures so I thought I should include a grouping of mine :). The day was so much fun.
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I’m so glad you included the pictures. Beautiful family!
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Faye,
Loved the picture of the son and daughter who managed to find space together on the same chair and get a nap too.
And the grandchildren seem to be enjoying themselves beyond description. I think Christmas must have an old time charm and a beauty at your place because of the wildfire, family togetherness and fun.
That you for letting us look at your family.
Susie
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It was such a good day!
The son napping in the chair is my semi driving son. He has learned to sleep anytime and anywhere.
The grandchildren are so good at entertaining themselves. And love having books read to them. I think being on the farm gives the holidays an old time feel.
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I LOVE your writing sooooo much. I feel like I was sitting in that dark room when you had grandbabies on your laps. What a wonderful holiday for you. ❤️
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It was a great day! I could sit for hours with those grandbabies snuggled on my lap. They are pretty leggy little grandbabies (3 & 5 years old) but oh so wonderful. Contentment.
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🙂
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Wonderful post and how fortunate you are. Love the clucking chickens!!!
Happy New Year!!
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there is just something about clucking chickens :). And yes I am so blessed.
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Perfect family time is any time but Christmas time is special.
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You are so right about that! Just something about Christmas and family.
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Love your family, and how the whole ‘group’ wraps itself in love. Love the grandchildren, and how comfortable they must be staying in your home. They obviously love you very much.
But most of all …. love you Chicken G. I’m so blessed to know you and have you in my own life. You bring a certain magic which is born in love, and brings with it love, laughter, light, and a special kind of warmth to my heart. In fact … to the hearts of all those who ‘know’ you.
GREAT post. Fantastic photographs. Immense pleasure gained from reading and seeing.
Sending much love ~ Cobs. x
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I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as ours. (it did seem too short of a time though)
I also hope you are feeling better?
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Your right, it did seem so very short this year.
And as for me … afraid it’s back to the doctor, things just don’t seem to be getting better. Grrrr!.
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Aaahhhhh nuts. I was hoping things were improving for you. I will keep praying they figure it out so life gets back to normal…..or as normal as it can be with women like us.
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Your prayers are very much welcomed, and I thank you more than you’ll ever know. Whatever this is, it’s playing havoc with my body, and as much as the body I had wasn’t up to much, I rather miss is. lol.
“women like us” ❤ ❤ ❤ … LOL. exactly!
Love you Chicken. ~ Cobs. x
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What a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing it :)x
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So glad you enjoyed it!
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Love the chickens – reminds me of that iPad app where you guess the words – Chicktionary.
We always had to wait for our children to wake up on Christmas morning. Once they were teenagers, we’d wake them up so that we could open presents before lunch time!
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Chicktionary sounds awesome!
We had to wait for some of the kids to arrive this year to open gifts. But that was okay as we then had time for our tea/hot chocolate party with the grandkids and the parents!
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What a lovely day you had with your family. Love the hot chocolate party!! I love that great big doll too, sitting with them at the table! All the joys of Christmas and family. The Cluck of the Bells is hilarious…did you play it for the girls? And finally…did you EVER find the candy canes? Thanks for sharing your love, joy and family! xo
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The hot chocolate party was a hit! That is another tea set I found at a second hand shop and the cups are the perfect size for little hands.
That great big doll is Elsa and is 3 feet tall. My husband found her at the same store as I found the tea set. She needed a little tender care and was then wrapped and given to our Frozen fanatic 3 year old granddaughter.
I have not played Cluck of the Bells for the girls. I probably should. My youngest son and his wife gave me a toy xylophone to put in the coop for the girls to play with.
NO I have not found the candy canes! The mystery continues. I asked my husband if we had actually purchased them and he assured me we had so I am not losing my mind….yet :).
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Oh I love that tea set, what a find! Wow you granddaughter must have flipped when she saw Elsa, I did! Lol…
Oh my goodness that’s so funny, a xylophone…won’t it be a riot when you hear them start to play it…maybe you could teach them Cluck of the Bells…or if they get real good they could perform for any holiday…kinda like the movie Holiday Inn! hee hee
Hmmm those darn candy canes…can’t wait til you come across them…you’ll have to let me know when you do! 😉
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My granddaughter hugged Elsa and was literally shaking as she said “I love her!” It was so cute because they have the same color hair!
I may have to try get a video of the girls playing the xylophone.
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Awe that’s sweet. Oh that would be so funny to video the girls. Ha!
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What a beautiful Christmas! And the chickens, awesome. Dog even enjoyed!
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I am so glad you enjoyed it. It is always wonderful when family is around. Maybe Dog was thinking a chicken dinner sounded good LOL!
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Some days I think dog misses.the chickens as well. She was an excellent chick herder!
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Sorry, me again, late again! But those chickens, with the egg at the end – brilliant!!
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A friend sent that to me on Facebook and I just couldn’t pass up including it in this post. I loved the chicken also!
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Your Christmas pictures warmed my heart so much…especially the incredibly giant Elsa doll. I am so glad that she also likes hot chocolate and thankful that she was invited to the party. The tea set is precious! I cannot believe that you must surely love tea sets like I do! I think that I previously told you that I still have my most favorite tea set from when I was a little girl! I have it in a very old “secretary” with glass doors at the top (and a key!). I found the piece of furniture in my aunt’s storage building along with some other items that only Mike and I were crazy about! Typical! We have the secretary in our entry hall with my tea set in the best spot. Strange place for a tea set…I know!!! Your grandchildren must be wonderfully fun! I can just visualize you all sitting in the living room with the Christmas tree lights and the wood fire! Such peace in that room!
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You will not believe this!!!! I also have a secretary. It came from my Grandma Scholten and used to be up in her attic. I always loved it and when she passed away my folks and uncles and aunts did not have a sale but took turns choosing items they wanted. My Aunt asked if I wanted the secretary or the huge blanket chest. I said secretary and so she chose it and gave it to me! I was in high school at the time. I still love it.
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