We are home for Christmas, which was our contractor’s goal after the wildfires and the damage at our house. But our house is not completely fixed yet. The wood flooring has to be replaced all over the house due to water damage after a tree fell and punctured the roof in several places, followed by rain that night.
Christmas at Downton Abbey is a 2-CD collection of traditional Christmas melodies sung by some of the cast members from the iconic TV series and others
We are thankful and counting our blessings though. The children opened presents earlier in the morning and were very excited to receive new things to build and play with. We draw strength from their enthusiasm and childlike excitement.
We had dinner at home and my husband’s mom came over with her husband. I cooked a simpler meal than at Thanksgiving: vegetarian turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, walnut gravy, salad with Olive Garden dressing, steamed corn, sweet potato casserole, and pumpkin pie. We drank different Martinelli sparkling non-alcoholic ciders. Christmas at Downton Abbey played in the background – my favorite Christmas collection for two years now.
In other words, we had a good Christmas dinner, like many of you, I am sure. I really enjoy being at home, in my kitchen, laying a nice tablecloth on the dining room table, and seeing my family eat. It’s the simple things in life that bring us the most satisfaction.
As far as homeschooling, we started a Christmas break last Wednesday. For the next two weeks, we will only cover Bible, violin and piano. The children have received lots of new toys and books to engage with and I need to decompress after a very busy year. Don’t we all.
Plus we want to make sure we start the new year in the right way, whatever that means. Well, I’ll tell you what it means for us. We are still in the midst of all the mess left behind by two teenagers who threw matches in the National Park. It looks to be a long recovery and we need to preserve our sanity and positive attitude.
If you think your children are misbehaving, try putting yourself in the shoes of these teens’ parents in Anderson County, Tennessee. Their lives have been altered forever. Since they are juveniles, by law, their names cannot be disclosed.
But you know their friends and families know. Their teachers and classmates know. So sad, that they ruined their lives and the lives of so many others in Sevier County. We should say a prayer for them, as well as the victims of this national disaster.
