Christmas Eve

Today is Christmas eve, though we are celebrating it as Christmas day. As I sit here typing, I hear Tiffany practicing carols for church tomorrow, smell bacon frying and sticky buns baking, and see a huge amount of gifts piled not only under the tree, but also on the counter, behind the sofa and on the piano. With fifteen of us, you can imagine that there are a lot of gifts to exchange on this day.

Unlike most households, the children do not wake up and run down the stairs to tear open gift after gift. It is 10 o'clock and the gifts remain relatively untouched.
There is a simple reason for this. Though they are a welcome addition to the day, Christmas isn't about the gifts.
First we have a huge Christmas breakfast, which every female in the house has been contributing to while singing carol after carol.
After this, we will all sit around and listen to Mr. McDonald read Luke's account of the birth of the Savior.
Finally, we will each open our gifts.
Since Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, we are also having Christmas with the with the extended family today. This evening we will be going to Mrs. McDonald's parents' house and celebrating with them.

THEN tomorrow, of course, we will go to church. After church, instead of having our fellowship meal at the church building as we usually do, the whole church is going to the home of one family to have Christmas dinner.

So, in short, we have a very busy couple of days ahead of us. On top of all of this, I am trying to overcome sickness. Usually the only way for me to get better is to spend 2 days or so doing absolutely nothing. Doesn't sound like an option this time! Oh well, I'll just play it as safe as I can.

I shall let you go now...I anticipate having lots of pictures to share in a few days.
Everyone have a wonderful Christmas!

~Robin <><