St. Stephen's Day/Boxing Day

We have The Chieftans Christmas CD. The second song is called, "The St.Stephen's Day Murders". It's a funny song about the day after Christmas, and the "carcass of the beast leftover from the feast" and sundry other things that happen the day after. Is this day called "Boxing Day" in a Protestant country and "St. Stephen's Day" in a Catholic country? Just wondering.

The working men, Denny and Andrew, are back in the workforce today. I got things tidied up and cleaned up around here after sleeping late. The other two are up, continuing to enjoy the academic break and watching Gilmore Girls 7th season that Linnea got for Christmas.

We enjoyed a relaxing Christmas day as usual. Nothing unusual. Took pictures with the new camera that Den bought me for Christmas, opened presents and had a lovely traditional Christmas dinner with our Christmas crackers, too. Only this year we didn't have Christmas pudding. We usually get it at World Market, but they didn't order any this year. We weren't too sad. Mostly everyone loves the lighting of it the most, rather than the eating. We watched a couple of our new videos in the evening. No football today. Hmm. Seemed unusual.

Merry Christmas!

Our celebration began last night, so here we are to say "Merry Christmas" to all you wonderful friends and family. The "children" aren't up yet, but everything is ready in anticipation. Isn't it great to see our whole family together?

Looking forward to hearing from all of you. Have a blessed Christmas Day!

Crazy Christmas Capers

Things get wound up around here about the time Mom says she's going to bed. I was downstairs last night and it sounded too fun up here, so I came back up. Here's what was going on around 11pm!

The Nativity Story

When I substituted last week, the teacher had me show this video to both of her Bible classes. It makes for an easy sub job to push a button on a DVD machine. I hadn't seen this yet, and I don't generally like Bible-based movies. I'd rather the images stayed in my head. However, even after watching this two times, I still wanted to show it to my Wednesday evening class at church. It was amazing. The story of the birth of Jesus became new, fresh and alive. It transformed from being just a story, to reality. We always picture Mary as a mature woman even while we say she was just a girl, which she probably was. I never really thought about the story itself past just what the words say. But what did Mary feel like being pregnant as a young girl? Did she tell her mother? Would her mother believer her? So she went to visit Elizabeth for three months or so. What did Joseph think when she returns obviously pregnant. We know he must've thought she had been unfaithful because the Bible tells us he thought he'd quietly divorce her. How crushed did he feel? Then the film shows how Mary gradually grows to love Joseph who probably had been chosen FOR her, not BY her. The birth is amazing. I cried every time. So if you get a chance to see this, it is well worth your time. The Christmas story will come alive to you. The fact the God himself became man with all our weaknesses, including that of infancy, will cause you to worship HIM.

Thou who was rich beyond all splendour, all for love's sake became poor.
Thrones for a manger didst surrender, sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.

Thou who art God beyond all praising, all for love's sake became man
Stooping so low, but sinners raising heavenward by thy eternal plan

Thou who art love beyond all telling, Saviour and King, we worship thee
Emmanuel within us dwelling, make us what thou would have us be.


Chip Stam writes: "This hymn was written at a particularly difficult time in the history of the missions to China. Missionaries had been captured by the communist Red Army and released in poor health after over a year of suffering. Others had been captured never to be heard from again. In 1934 the young missionaries John and Betty Stam (my great aunt and uncle) were captured in Anhwei and beheaded . The news of these sorrows had reached the mission's headquarters in Shanghai. Though this was a very dangerous time for both the Chinese Christians and the foreign missionaries, Frank Houghton decided he needed to begin a tour through the country to visit various missionary outposts. While traveling over the mountains of Szechwan, the powerful and comforting words of 2 Corinthians 8:9, "though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor," were transformed into this beautiful Christmas hymn."

Thought you might enjoy hearing about the background to the hymn. I did. If you click on the link, you'll see where I read it.

Alive and ...well....

I've been substituting full time all week for one teacher who joined her family in Florida..early! It's been good so far, but I am NOT getting anything done around here. I just don't feel like doing much once I get home. MOnday Will was hacking away at the two inches of ice and packed snow that still remained in the driveway when I got home, so we worked together on that for awhile. The sidewalk is still covered... He got a bad cold and hasn't felt well all week, but he has long quiet days to get over it while I'm gone. Yesterday a friend dropped off my fruit order and we had a quick visit over peppermint tea and Mom's sweet bread. Yummmm. I should get groceries, clean up around here, hack the ice off the sidewalk and front walk, ah, but it's cozy in here. I have to run out to church for several hours tonight, then one more day of subbing. Linnea arrives about the time I get off tomorrow, so that's convenient. Christmas shopping, hahahahahaha!! I've ordered some things. Will gave me a list yesterday. We'll see about what we can do Friday and Saturday. The weather doesn't sound too good, so maybe it will be a Christmas Eve rush. Our 28th wedding anniversary is Saturday, the 22nd. On a Saturday once again. We hope to go out with friends. We'll see what the weather's like.

We really enjoyed hearing the Messiah last weekend at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. Magnificent! It is really a worship service from beginning to end. The whole gospel story, all about Jesus. By the time I got to "Worthy is the Lamb" I was ready to stand up with my hands in the air! It brings tears to your eyes and a swelling in your chest just to hear those words and worship. Wow!

We also enjoyed another family get together. Seven of us grown-ups packed our car. Jenny, my sister came with us by herself. Will got there at 4am Friday after driving all night from Covenant, so he was with us. (The people he rode with were there, too!) Ron and Dennis thoroughly enjoyed being crazy together. Sometimes, one cannot even get a word of sense into them at all. Jen was trying to give directions to the college and they were messing with her the whole time. She's so good natured, she just sighs, and sits back in the seat. Oh, well.

I was a bit worried when we got up on Saturday and it began to snow. Andrew called and said it was bad here and that his friend's flight had been cancelled from Chicago. We started out and had wet and a bit slippery roads from LeClaire west a ways. DesMoines was wet and everything was dry from there on out! Yeah! Took us just a little longer than normal. I'm looking forward to a weekend at home with no Saturday afternoon practices and no out of town places to go!

Think I'll go tackle one of those jobs.....

Wintry Cold Monday Morning

Winter has arrived in Nebraska. Not officially, but we are getting snow on snow. It is a gorgeous morning. My friend and I did our 3 mile walk in 10 degrees( F not C) this morning. With no wind, we were very warm. Once I get into the house, the layers come off. Whew! I was very warm.
She came in to see the new carpet. YEA!!!! It was put down on Saturday afternoon. It was one of those things, too, they were supposed to be here by 10, never came, never came. I had to leave, but Denny was here. They showed up about 2:30!! So many things we had planned to get done that day didn't get done. I'll try to do them today. We had to go to Den's work Christmas party, so by the time the carpet lay-ers left, we only had time to put the couch back in. I really need someone to move out, or Andrew's girlfriend to get her own apartment so that I can give her all this stuff I don't want! We have enough to furnish an apartment down there! However, in spite of all the stuff, the room is looking quite cozy. We still have to finish putting up molding and baseboards. But the carpet makes it so light and dressy! It will be a great hangout place for the kids and their friends while everyone is home. Today I need to tidy up all the other rooms that held the stuff from this room.

Will gets home on Saturday after we go over to my mom's and get him. He gets a ride that far every year, and we go get him. That way we see Mom at Christmas and she gets to see Will, too. Dad's birthday will be the 21st and their anniversary the 31st, so she will be missing him very much this year. My brother and his wife, my sister and a couple of her children are joining Mom and us at a Messiah performance at Augustana College Friday night. It will be a good time together. Messiah performances have been part of our family for many years. It will be fun to go together again.

Linnea gets home the 20th. Then we'll have our cozy Christmas family all together!

I'm still trying to figure out Christmas presents. No one really wants or needs anything. And I want to be practical. It seems dumb to buy presents just for the sake of buying presents! And I do not like shopping. Anything I've gotten so far I've ordered online. I LOVE that kind of shopping.

We have bright sunshine today, finally! But a winter storm arriving tomorrow. Better get some groceries today.

Contemplating the weekend

I've been trying to get myself to blog ever since I got home, but just haven't known what to say in this forum. I wrote it all down in my journal, but what does one share with the world?

I do have to remind all of you who read this of the great blessing of a covenant family. Every time we get with our family, we are overwhelmed with God's goodness in that regard. We had four generations together this time. Dad's family, our family, our children and two little ones from the next generation. How God does honor His word! Who wouldn't be clamoring for what we have? And how God has blessed spouses who don't have this in their own families but are experiencing it in our family. This picture is the seven of us. Contrary to my last post that said Dad was 26 when the last one was born, he was 36. There are 16 years between me and Jenny (front right).

Friday evening we all had dinner together. There were 63 just family. Two of my kids couldn't make it, and Jeannette's husband. There were several friends, too, that seem like family. Lots of action, lots of talking. We did have a short (too short for some of us) formal sharing time. Fun to hear Dad's family sharing their stories. We haven't known them as well as Mom's. Dad was referred to as a "brute" on the football field by his brothers. One brother said that Dad would ask his family to pray for him before he left for each game. Sam said he'd pray for the other team! Dad was also very musical. Another story was that when Dad got the lead in Oklahoma! his family got tired of hearing the "O-oooo, kla-ho-ma...!!!!" every time he came around. He also sang "Old Man River" in Showboat. I remember him coming home with a black face, and being a very little girl at the time, it was very scary. And then he'd sing in his very big voice! Oooooo.

We also had informal times, more stories, in the breakfast room, lobby, hotel room or at Sneaky Pete's, the local hangout in LeClaire. After the lunch on Saturday we went back to the hotel to take family photos. (see above!) My Flickr has more. The electricity went out before we finished! When it came our family's turn, Den said he felt like a celebrity with the papparazzi!! The electricity was off for 3 hours. We got candles from Mom's house (she didn't have any electricity either) and had our lunch leftovers in the breakfast room by candlelight! Just a tad disappointing when the lights came on. Some of the guys went to find a sports bar to watch the BCS game. Andrew and Den got to know Dad's brothers a little better there! Rather, they got to know Den....but I won't say more.

The weather was the other main factor. ICE! Our hotel was on the Iowa side of the Mississippi and the church was on the other. The cemetery was on the Iowa side, the lunch was on the Illinois side. They were the last and first exits off the freeway, but still crossing that bridge in ice with semis whizzing, windshield wipers barely keeping the ice off...it wasn't fun. Thankfully no one even fell down. And it probably was the shortest graveside service ever. My uncle had his hand on the tent ceiling because it was so loaded with ice we were hoping it wouldn't collapse until we were done.

In a way, I'm sadder this week than last week. We were so relieved to think that Dad was delivered from his body; that at last he is singing in heaven and walking with Jesus! Now we are thinking about what we had, and what we will miss. We heard a lot about our dad this weekend. It was good to remember, and learn new things. We're glad that death does not have the last word, that because of Jesus we will go on living as well. This is just a temporary separation. And as the pastor said, Dad has left a great legacy. Dad lives on in all of us and what he taught us. We all see bits of Dad in each other and in our children.

For those of you that I saw this weekend, it was great being with you! I love you!