currently i am sitting in a bed with drea and the scritchfields. we’re each working away on our macs; checking emails, uploading pictures and the like. oh, what three and a half weeks without internet will do to you. talk about playing catch up. i woke up this morning to erin ushering me out of bed with coffee. oasis sipped on drinks, opened presents, and enjoyed breakfast burritos this morning. i am happy to report that i am now the proud owner of two fantastic headbands, a real coffee cup, a puzzle book, a stress ball and more candy than i care to mention.
in a few hours my family will be waking up for their holiday festivities. hannah and ethan will run around the house in their christmas jammies excited that santa clause did indeed come again this year. dean will crawl out of bed tiredly but excited about what the shiny boxes will hold, i am sure. aunt mandy and uncle duane will just watch with joy at the way their beautiful family operates. while i am happy for the warm weather i am bummed about missing the ‘mandatory slumber party due to possible snow storm’ that happened last night. i am sure grandma and grandpa crashed in ‘my’ room. they’ll be waking up soon, grandma sure to get to the coffee pot. she’ll help aunt mandy cook today [oh what i would give for some rice dressing, cajun spaghetti, and homemade bread] while observing all that the lord is doing in our family. and grandpa. oh, grandpa. he’ll laugh, make jokes with guys [more than likely about grandma] and rejoice over having the majority of his family together this year.
and i’m not there. grandpa won’t have to drive back home to get my stocking this time around. i don’t get to show off my moves at a family dance party later this afternoon. and while i miss aunt mandy’s hot chocolate, christmas hugs from the little ones, rock band with dean-o and well, just about everything.
i am still with family.
in the last five months i have inherited forty one new brothers and sisters. forty one people who are here in the desert with me. not so much concerned about what we have, the presents we aren’t getting this year, or what we are missing about home. these people have encouraged me, challenged me, served me, been upset with me, battled alongside of me, battled for me, questioned with me, held me up when i didn’t think i could stand. they have laughed with me and cried with me. spoken truth into my life and pushed me to be more like christ [in one or another] every single day. i feel blessed beyond belief to call these people family. never did i think i would be able to love a group of people as much as i do love them. do they drive me crazy sometimes, yes. we’re not perfect, by any means. but they’re my family now.
so as much as i miss all of you. and believe me, i miss all of you. i am counting my blessings, all forty one of them. i’m thanking God that i am where i am. i’m enjoying today instead of missing yesterday or hoping for tomorrow. it’s more than just contentment. it’s gratitude and joy. maybe, [at the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy] it’s just pure christmas cheer.
