Merry Christmas! 

Peace and blessings to you and yours! We were blessed to spend Christmas Eve with our family. The important tradition of gathering together, sharing a meal, love and laughter is always the same. As the kids have grown older, games and/or activities have changed through the years:

In the past, we have decorated sugar cookies, decorated waffle cones to look like Christmas Trees, and last year our son helped the kids make their own sushi rolls! We have played bingo and it was loud and crazy fun! This year, the weather has been warm so we forgot the bingo game and played Simon Says, and Red Light Green Light to win the large boxes of candy. We were in the front yard - on the driveway - all the grandchildren played! From the smallest to the tallest - ages six to almost sixteen! Our adult children played also! Then we came back inside and played another crazy game - a big saran wrapped ball with candy, and little things wrapped in each layer - it was a very fun, loud and rambunctious game. Each family left in time to get to the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass - Jim and I stayed home and recouped! He went to Mass on Christmas morning. I have a cold and a scratchy voice so I stayed home.

My heart goes out to all the people who have lost loved ones this past year - many to Covid and others to cancer, accidents, etc. We have been to to multiple funerals - family members and close friends. Everyday is a gift - I'm thankful for each and every day. 

I love the Christmas Season - Christmas is more that just one day! I read the scriptures from our Magnificat this morning while Jim was at Mass. The following responsorial refrain has stayed with me; "Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord!"

I'll add the links to some past Christmas stories below.

Peace and blessings to you and yours,                                                                                                    near and far, wherever you are!                                                                                                                        God loves you! Go out and be a light in the world!

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-angel-gabriel-mother-mary-elizabeth.html

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/12/kitchen-windows-memories-and-some-quiet.html

https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/12/all-is-calm-all-is-bright-merry.html