We are supposed to leave for a two week camping trip tomorrow. But unfortunately, I had a last minute work load come up, and a trip is quite out of the question.
The children have really been very good about the whole thing. I had a meeting for 1 hour 45 minutes this afternoon- they all sat in the car with lunch and a movie. Afterwards on the way home, they discussed the fact that this Christmas there will be no presents. They decided that it didn't matter at all, they would just be happy to have the attention of their parents for the entire day. This either means my kids are really neat people, or my husband and I have neglected them to the point that the bar has been reachably lowered.
I have decided to celebrate the first evening with candles and a glass of wine. The kids are watching a movie on the nativity. What happened to nightly Christmas specials this month? Last year, CBS Family did 25 days of Christmas, and we were really looking forward to it this year. We have already watched The Christmas Story this month, the one based on the novel, We trust in God, all others pay cash--a family tradition since Jonathan was 3. I really need to get a version that doesn't have so many cuss words.
So next week, we'll go to the zoo, bake cookies, roast marshmallows in the fireplace, and most importantly, on Christmas day, get all the train tracks out, and set up a train track all over the downstairs. The kids are exceedingly excited about that prospect.
On the one hand, I'm a little sad not to have a pile of wrapped presents and a Christmas tree. But on the other hand, this is what Christmas really should be all about. Giving. We have given all that we are and have these last 7 months, and will continue to do so, until Georgia re-establishes the right to life. The children will always remember the sacrifices that we made for our Georgia and our country. I hope they grow up to become useful humans, eager to leave the world a better place than they found it, and give God's love, not on the end of a long handled silver spoon, but by holding people close, and helping them reach their Savior, and experience their full potential.
These past 7 months have shown me that working full time in this great work has not pulled me from my family--it has instead brought all of us closer together, recognizing the gift a big family is, and the joy of working together on an important task.
Enough warm fuzzy gushing.
