It's TIme

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.