Merry CHRISTmas!

Hi again...It's been a busy few days. As I write this posting there is barley an inch of snow on the ground....with exception to the snow banks that take longer to melt of course. Over the course of six days...December 19 - December 24...our city got well over 22 inches of snow that has now suddenly melted! We definitely had a white Christmas this year. I just hope we don't have a flooded New Year's Eve. While I enjoy snow, this was excessive. The kids had a snow day on the 19th and spent most of the day playing in the snow. What a way to start Christmas vacation!
Christmas this year was very nice and very simple. Once again it was different from the year before. Last year was our first Christmas Eve without Matt's mom and this year was our first Christmas Eve without Matt's dad. His dad was unable to make it to our house this year because of the snow I mentioned earlier. For a change of pace my parents, who live in town near us, joined us Christmas Eve after church. The kids were so thankful to have grandparents over on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, Matt's dad was able to at least come down Christmas Day and have lunch with us. I remember as a child the all importance of having grandparents present at these important holidays.
I can't help but recall the first time I felt a "role" change at Christmas. I recollect it was the first Christmas I spent as a mom...14 years ago to be exact. Christmas felt a little "different" that year. I was now Mom to my baby and Christmas was observed through different eyes...I guess I was more the giver than the receiver for once. In years to follow I lost my own grandparents one by one and every Christmas changed...just a little. It seems my "role" at Christmas continues to change ever so slightly with each passing year and each passing person. I am now down to one grandparent left....My grandpa on my dad's side. He is 91 years old and I am so thankful to have him. In some ways I feel a piece of my early childhood Christmas memories still present and alive just because he is still with us. I'm not certain what next Christmas will bring but I'm so thankful that even though the faces and places of Christmas change...the CHRIST of Christmas and the story He encompasses remains the same...and always will.