Going to church on Christmas Eve has been one of those things we have done since before we were married. Actually, it is one of the few things I can say I have done pretty much my whole life. It is usually a candlelight service and has long been one of my favorite times at church. In the past it was also one of the times you wanted to be early to church or you would risk not finding a good seat. That was until we moved here. There is some odd phenomenon here, the church has been less full on Christmas Eve than on a regular Sunday. I KNOW! Totally strange! I always felt like people were missing out on this very special time. This year I even prayed about it, asking God to impress upon people the desire to worship on Christmas. Well, this time, things were soooo different! The place was packed, we had to add chairs, we ran out of worship folders! It was glorious! Maybe someone was reading my tips to a meaningful Christmas, lol!! It was cool beyond words to see regular faces, old faces, new faces. One of the best services of the year. God is so good!
On Christmas day we enjoyed a nice breakfast and time of opening gifts. Last year I remember shedding tears about how few gifts we were able to afford. This year we didn't have much more under the tree but it felt very different. My heart was different. It was okay because the gifts were not the focus. I also fixed a fantastic dinner, if I do say so myself. It was all about my childhood memories of Yorkshire pudding. I loved it as a kid but had never dared make it myself. I was determined to give it a try and after a last minute panic when I discovered Greg had used up all my eggs, I pulled it off. Prime Rib, Yorshire pudding, roasted aspargus and mushroom gravy....mmmm
It was just like I remembered!
The week following Christmas we joined the rest of the Harp clan at a cottage on Seneca Lake. It had been more than a year since we had all been together. We had a week full of games, fun, and lots of food! My brother and family joined us several times that week. On Friday, even more family joined us, Greg and I cooked dinner for 22 people! I thought for sure we wouldn't have enough food for everyone but I was wrong. Here is just a snippet of our time together...
I thought I took tons of pictures and still managed to come home without a single shot of Jon, Gail or Thom! Sheesh!
The new year is full of possibilities and adventures. I'll be back with more on that soon!
Blessings!
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