Thanksmas and Beyond!

The story of Christmas; December 11: (Luke 1:26-38) "In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have had no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing is impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her."

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Our story; December 11: ( I journaled two days in one post since we didn't get in last night until close to midnight😁)We had our Thanksgiving and Christmas get together for my Dad's side of the family...Thanksmas! Following that we went to my parents to play cards. In the past, we ( Dad's family)got together on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. We changed it this year to get together in-between the two holidays in hopes that everyone could come without having other places to go and be able to stay longer. It seemed to workout really well. I always look forward to getting together with family. It's impossible to get together without thinking of Gram n Grampie, who are nolonger physically with us. To me it feels like the best way to honor their legacy. Family was their everything!

I miss my Gram and my Grampie fiercely and I'm so thankful for how hard they worked to promote togetherness in our family. I am saddened for the times they are missing with my babies, and my cousin's babies, but thankful for the vivid memories of them that I get to share with my kids.. Thankful for the short time my kids got to spend with Grampie, and I pray they will still remember him as they age. I'm thankful for the way my parents and Aunts and Uncles have overcame differences to uphold or family. We have had other very difficult losses in our family, and when we are all together it feels both more and less heavy.

I wore my Grampie's flannel shirt to our gathering. It wasn't the same as a fish kiss, but I felt close to him while I was there with our family. It isn't the same as what it was during my childhood experience, for me; but I have to believe we are creating an experience that's similar to what we had, for our kids. It's bittersweet.

I imagine that there was a time when Gram and Gramp felt the way we(their kids and grandkids) are feeling now; which saddens me, but also provides some kind of comfort. I hope he and Gram are together and proud of the family they have built. I hope they can forgive us for the mistakes we have made and the times we have failed to love each other the way they would want. I'm so thankful for the relationships, friendships, and unbreakable bonds that family provides. I can't wait for the day when I get to greet my grandparents again. The only thing better than meeting the eternal King himself, will be reuniting with the loved ones that we've went on in this life without. Christmas is such a reminder to prepare ourselves for that day when we meet our King. I hope that with each Christmas, my faith grows a little more. I hope with each passing Christmas, I'll know God a little more.

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The story of Christmas; December 12: (Luke 1:39-45) During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you be the Lord would be fulfilled.""

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Our Story (13 days until Christmas):

Today we slept in, Daddy made us waffles, and then we went to church.

Today at church the kids got to carry a rose to the alter as a way to honor Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Today is her feast day.

It felt extra special.

After church, we ate at Cracker barrel which was a barrel of fun in itself. Xander talked us into being hungry. Looking at the toys before we ate had everyone so excited. We spent the rest of the day at home, Daddy and I completing the things we didn't get to this week, taming the hyperactivity, and feeding the kids leftovers before giving baths and doing our best to prepare for a new week. Because ready or not, here Monday comes, right?!

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💛Most importantly; Someone we love could use some prayers on their behalf. Please lift up in prayer our sweet friend, Maisy Linn and her parents.💛💛💛