Joy to the World

 

CHRISTMAS EVE 2011

My heart loves Christmas. Loves, loves, loves it. That is in no way unique, I realize. But it is true and I want it on the record. =)

This year, I loved the Christmas Eve vision of my children asleep in Grandma's guest bed, little fingers interlocked, little hearts full of anticipation. I watched them with a smile and through tears. "Look at our beautiful children," I said to Wes, grateful that we can still share moments like that.

A few hours later, I loved the Christmas morning sound of Lucy singing "Joy to the World" in the bathtub before church.  That was the favorite carol in our house this year.  On our way to Grandma's chapel Sunday morning, we talked a little about the lyrics.

Joy to the world,  the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare him room,

We talked about how our dad was surely celebrating Christmas too, with the same gratitude and love for the Savior that we felt.

And saints and angels sing.

At church the bishop announced that, although it wasn't printed in the program, Joy to the World would be one of the congregational hymns.  When the song concluded, Lucy turned a smiling face to me. "I just knew we'd sing that, Mom," she said.  I nodded. With a smile and through tears.

Our whole Christmas season was sweet like that.  We loved being in Las Vegas with all of Wes's family.  All of our family.  We love them so much.  

You should have heard our little choir of angels sing!

  

And you should have seen Lucy and Spencer and all of their cousins p l a y.  Non-stop.  For days and days.

Favorite Christmas gifts included a little bundle of clothes for Lucy's doll.

Some of the outfits were mine as a baby.  Most were hers.  I've been hanging on to them all these years hoping Lucy's little sister Anna (named for my mom the way Lucy was named for Wes's) would make it to our family.  Sorting through those baby clothes before Christmas was a hard but beautiful task.  I gave most away, but kept a few - for Lucy's dolls today and perhaps for her own baby girl tomorrow.  I thought perhaps the sentimentality of the gift would be lost on Lucy amid the chaos of Christmas morning.  But the baby clothes turned out to be one of her favorite presents and I was so glad! 

 As for this boy,

this little miracle child who I love more than words can express (and who needs a hair cut more than words can express!),

he thought Christmas was a blast! 

That new horn gave him a little trouble at first, but after a few lessons from his (darling!) cousin Wes,

he started to catch on! 

(But nobody had to teach him how to play a drum!)  

My parents didn't know I was making this the year of musical instruments, but their gift to us fit right in!!

A piano!  And my grandmother's hymn book to boot. 

(Here are Grandma and Grandpa Welling in a Christmas picture I love.)

(Mom looks just a bit like Lucy, me thinks.)
I'm so grateful for my family!  We had loads of New Year's fun with our Packer cousins! 

  

(Even though poor Dad was so, so sick this season!)



I took some pictures for my brother Mark's family after church on New Year's Day.....Had to use a bit of bribery to persuade his littlest angel to show off her beautiful smile!  =)

Cute Abby and Spencer, both three, are the smallest cousins of our clan!   

I can't believe it!  The biggest are in collage with one on a mission and one headed to the MTC in March!  I'm so excited for Steph's mission to Texas!!!  She is truly one of the most amazing women I know. 

  

And now Christmas is long past.  Our tree is down and all our trimmings and trappings are packed up.  But a lot of the joy lingers. 

And I still have all of your cards on my wall.  

(I think I might keep them up all year.)