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Well, my family gathered yesterday and, while everyone noticed that the house was a bit more bare than usual, it did not have much of an impact on the festivities.  The adults were focused on food and conversation and the children were busy with drawing,  decorating gingerbread boys (which was a fun activity that came in ever so handy to settle them down a bit when things got really rambunctious), and then opening some presents.  By then, it was pretty impossible to notice anything but sheer excitement and wrapping paper swirling through the air.

Kristen and Dane made this tree for me.
 One nephew had just returned from Afghanistan, but he did not attend last night because he was on his way to a Giants football game.  My two nieces and another nephew have moved out of state.  It just doesn't seem that long ago that they all were the source of frenzied anticipation for the pile under the tree.  The older of my two brothers now is in North Carolina, so the group is smaller.  My sister, her husband, her youngest son, his wife and two kids were there.  The younger of my two brothers and his oldest son came.  And, of course, my son and my daughter with the two grand kids were there, too. I love the fact that we can get together and there is joking and laughter and memories shared.  It was a good time.
 The evening did end on a sad note, though.  We got a call from my cousin.  Our Uncle Bill passed away quietly yesterday.  He was my father's younger brother--87 years old.  He was a teacher, a school principal, a devoted husband and father of four children, a friend to more than one can count, and a man of deep faith. A good enough life so that even at the age of 87, one can say it was too short a time on the earth.

Comments

  1. You had more people at your house than I think I have ever had at mine...except at my daughter wedding over Thanksgiving...boy was that a nightmare.

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  2. An early family Christmas, how lovely.
    I am sorry that you also had sad news, but that is how it is, the good and the sad side by side; how much more should we all remember to enjoy the time we have.

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  3. Sounds like a nice family event. Hope the person that wanted the lemon pie was there.

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  4. The celebration, fellowship, and Christmas cheer all sounded very lovely. I'm sorry to hear about the passing of a dear uncle, yet it is nice to know that you all seem to live out his values and principles.

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  5. I sounds like a perfect time and I am so glad your nephew made it back safely from Afghanistan. A Giants game would be really hard to miss and you will see him another time.
    So sorry about your uncle but I guess it was good that you had so many loved ones around you to share the pain of loss.

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  6. Always the intermingling of life and death. Hard. Bittersweet.

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