Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Eve

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house... it was pretty quiet until Ron, Courtney, baby Ben, dachshund Murphy, Jon, Kendall (baby Micah is still cookin'), Michael, Summer, Addison, Margo, Janine & Joel arrived! They all brought lots of love and laughter along with food and wine. Ron served as the chef and Courtney, his sous chef.


I was able to sneak out for an hour in mid-afternoon to attend a Christmas Eve candlelight service at Lighthouse with Jon & Kendall. We almost didn't get a seat, it was so crowded. The service was lovely, the music beautiful and the message timeless. It was about forgiveness and reconciliation. 


Back at the King-Haverly Ranch, the ham was basted, potatoes peeled and mashed, carrots sweetened. Jon hid the barbecue-sauced weenie weenies in the crock pot behind him, so no one else could have any. The obligatory veggie tray was set out, so folks could have healthy choices, but of course, the deviled eggs and chips & dip, along with white and red wine were favorites before dinner. I normally don't drink wine because I have an allergic reaction to the histamines and immediately sound like I have a cold. However, good neighbors, Janine and Joel, brought a light white wine that even I could enjoy without so much as a sneeze!

After dinner we had an additional guest - Santa Claus - came just to bring presents to the kids. Mr. Claus was also a little concerned about how our dog, Bella, would react. He'd had an unfortunate encounter with a big dog before. Bella was fine with him; somehow, he smelled familiar. We were also a little concerned how Margo would react. Her her last visit with the big guy resulted in expressions of shear terror. This time, she did cling closely to mom, but Addison was thrilled. He reassured Santa that he had been very good, got his presents, and gave Santa a big hug as Jolly Old Saint Nick said his goodbyes.

Love and laughter were the theme for the evening, but we all thought about those who weren't with us this year. Krista and Steve were missed.
We know we won't see Krista in this life, but because time can heal, there is hope we'll have a son in our midst again sometime soon. www.BonnieKingPhotography.com

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