Christmas Day(s)

Christmas Eve service, candles, pajamas, presents, excitement, hugs, cinnamon rolls....it was a great Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. 

We had "our:" family Christmas and then as we all got ready to head up to Louisville to be with Kevin's family, we got a call that Mom was headed to the ER with Dad because of what seemed like stroke-like symptoms. So after opening gifts with the Browns, I drove up to be with Anne and Dad and Mom at the hospital. It was really scary to not know what was happening, but God so graciously answered our prayers for peace and presence (Dad still remembers little from the morning, but he said he felt the Lord very near. What a witness to Emmanuel, God-with-us), and then for health. Dad had an episode of "transient global amnesia" and is now doing fine. We felt so thankful and relieved. And although a hospital is not where I would normally choose to spend Christmas, I was glad I was close enough to drive there and that I was with family. 

 Christmas with Kevin's family was a great time. The cousins are at an age where they can all play together well with not a lot of intervention from us, and we all enjoy being together. At the end of every holiday, Kevin and I always say that we are really blessed to have 2 wonderful families. 

We drove up to Indiana to be with my family (this time not in a hospital) during New Year's. We had a disgusting but not insurmountable issue with mice camping out in the stove we were using for cooking (a Harriman gathering really wouldn't be complete without something weird), but it was overshadowed by how much fun we all had together. This group of cousins also plays well together, which gives us time to solve all the word's problems. 

We all went to visit Grandma and Grandpa in the nursing home and took this priceless picture: