Happy Holidays!!

Well I hope everyone's holidays were "merry and bright." Here in South Texas, the closest we got to a "white Christmas" was the sheetrock dust all over the house from putting in a doggie door. However, we are grateful people and will take what we can get.

Every year I miss my grandmother during the holidays and have always made sure I told her stories to my kids, keep her traditions alive, etc. She truly had the Christmas spirit and it wouldn't be Christmas without her, even though she's been gone for nearly 8 years. This year we added Christmas candy to our traditions - I swear, the book Paul found with recipes could have belonged to her - it looked like I'd pulled it out of my giant stash of her cookbooks (and now that Christmas is over, that's where it has been placed). I tried to make candy and failed miserably. But Paul - OMG he made white satin fudge, chocolate-coated blackberry fudge, date nut rolls (her favorites), peanut butter fudge, sour cream candies, butterscotch - I don't even know what else. But what a treat! Grandmother used to have this big production, candy-making day. When it was over there'd be plates of candy on every surface, and anyone who came over, even the guy checking the water meter, would get to take one home. We weren't quite so generous :)

Christmas Eve we spent here with our collective kids, then visiting with my dad, then down to Pleasanton to my mom's house (remember that doggie door? that means we get to LEAVE the house now!!) where we had a terrific time! All the little kids running around - Garrett, my precious nephew, shooting people with a water gun. My son reloading it for him - ha ha. I hated to leave but we did have to get back to SA, prepare for the next day, and go to church at midnight.

Wow - that communion service ROCKED. Literally - the church band opened with "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" and it was terrific. After years of hearing whether or not we should even celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, and WHEN, and yada yada - we celebrated it as a family. Most families showed up to church in their PJ's, which we will do next year. Again, wow. Anyone who wants to get to know our church, check out www.brcc.net. To hear messages, check out "multimedia" at the end - the "Beautiful Feet" messages, especially "Love San Antonio" have been SO awesome and motivating. I wish the music was available to listen to online because we have one of the most incredible worship bands. Anyway, I already can't wait for next year's service.

Well it's time for the aftermath. While drinking my coffee from a cool mug that looks like it is cable-knit, and watching a slideshow of pictures on a digital picture frame (and while putting off reading the murder mystery my oldest bought me) I look around and see that Christmas must be put back into its boxes and away for next year. Before Nicky eats any more ornaments (he did - he found this nasty green ornament, a wreath made out of rice krispies and green-colored glue one of the kids made umpteen years ago in elementary school, and he ate that little sucker!!).

Hope your Christmas was great too!!!