Stockings

There is still a few more minutes left of Christmas Eve. The stockings are truly hung by the chimney with care. I love that we have so many extra stockings: we have Tim's sister, her husband and their son, along with my sister here with their stockings added to our little foursome. I love the feeling of family it gives. and the hodge podge of it all.

Lucy has written her letter to Santa. She wrote it several days ago, I now remember, and she told me. I told her we should put it in the window as a safe place (why?), but then we both forgot about it. At bedtime tonight, she remembered it, and they had to do an emergency mailing! Luckily my mom had sent these super cute snowmen stickers, that were holding a flag...that seriously were perfect stamps!! (Thanks Gramma). Then we remembered we hadn't put out the magic reindeer food. So in jammies, we hurried outside to sprinkle the food out in front of our house. The dew was already making the grass sparkly, which delighted Lucy to no end. Surely Santa and his reindeer will find our house now! (thanks Janna for the magic reindeer food!). I didn't really teach her any of this...she has learned from books, shows and even songs to some degree. I'm just following her lead.

This is so much fun, with Lucy so excited. It's fun to know that I know her well, and she will truly love the simple things she got. And for good measure we talked again at bedtime about how to graciously receive gifts, and not just greedily rip thru wrapping paper, but to thank the giver, and enjoy the gift for a minute before moving on!!

So yes, everything is done. But I have to admit, something feels missing. Or someone. I don't know. Maybe it's my Gramma; she loved Christmas and when Lucy asked me to sing "The Little Drummer boy" to her at bedtime again tonight, (certainly not the first time this season), I got a little sentimental, since that was my grandma's FAVORITE christmas song. She died in 1999-not our first Christmas without her. Maybe it's the baby we lost (by miscarriage) in February 2011. But if that baby was here, we wouldn't have Henry, at least not in the way we know him now. I felt strongly earlier today that we are missing Asa, the sweet sweet boy who is an a loving orphanage in China, but an orphanage all the same. He is 16 months old, and I long for him to share this Christmas with us. I fell in love the moment I saw his picture, when he was 2 days old. There is some connection with him: he looked like he could be Tim's son; he was born close to the time by 2nd baby would have been born. Who knows. But a piece of me misses him. I do trust that Jesus is keeping his arms around each of those I speak of.

Well, I'm NOT missing Henry, who just woke up for his fairly regular midnight feed. oh well, at least i wasn't asleep yet.

Merry Christmas everyone!!