Weekly Update: 12.7.24
Christmastime is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of yearVince Guaraldi
I woke up this morning to the glow of Christmas lights. I started the laundry, made myself a cup of coffee, and read my devotional -- each routine activity warmed by a little holiday cheer. I poured the coffee into a festive mug, and I snuggled under a holiday throw blanket while I read. It's funny how such little things can brighten monotony and help you appreciate your blessings just a little bit more.
Our week was characteristically busy, but we managed to squeeze in some festivity. We made a supply run on Saturday and picked up a Christmas tree while we were in Springfield. On the way home, we picked up McDonald's holiday pies, which is a family tradition. For the rest of the evening, the men worked on the chimney while the ladies made dinner and wrapped tiny presents for the kids' advent calendars.
We celebrated the first Sunday of Advent by decking the halls. We attended church in the morning, then spent the afternoon and evening decorating and organizing the tent. During the process, our propane heater quit working, so our dad made a quick trip to Springfield to pick up another one. While he was gone, we whipped up a batch of gingerbread out of my paternal grandmother's cookbook. We've made it on the first Sunday of Advent for years, though not last year, since we didn't have an oven.
The rest of the week felt chaotic as we unsuccessfully tried to squeeze some holiday fun into our overpacked schedule. We made some progress in the bunkhouse, but it was one of those weeks where everything seemed to go wrong. Grace and I put a coat of paint on the woodstove, only to have the paint highlight areas that still needed more sanding. Grace spent the next couple of days detailing the stove. I helped dad work on the hearth, but it turned out to be a slow, tedious process that we did not finish. The guys did finish installing our chimney, so that is a relief. We had our first true cold snap, but the tent and bunkhouse stayed warm due to several space heaters.
Despite not accomplishing that much on the bunkhouse, we had even less free time than what we are used to. We planned to have some festive relaxation on several occassions -- watch a Christmas movie, do a puzzle, work on handmade gifts -- but each time something happened that kept us working later than we planned. No matter how much we know we need to practice the discipline of rest, it is so easy to get caught up in all there is to do every day.
Still, though it was imperfect, we had plenty of blessings to unwrap every day this week. The kids' Elf on the Shelf returned, and his shenanigans fill our mornings with laughter. Kids have a way of embracing joy, no matter how chaotic life's circumstances happen to be. We ladies managed to read the Bible aloud almost every morning, as we are attempting to finish our Bible-in-a-year program. We enjoyed several pots of soup and made bread a couple of times. Life is good, and the holiday season always challenges us to make space to savor it just a little bit more.