Wednesday, December 28, 2016

December, 2016-Hertzler Doings

Well, life has been busy.
I want to write down about our Christmas this year and then hopefully,
next year, I'll be more consistent with writing.

Our immediate family celebrated Christmas on the 18th.
We got together at 1:30, after church, and had homemade zucchini yeast rolls
and made sandwiches with a turkey and ham I cooked.
We added cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion.
We did this last year too, I think, and everyone likes this.
Later, we had cinnamon rolls-just baked, and caramel popcorn.
Daniel, Susan's boyfriend, was with us.

Michael read the Christmas story and then we went around and sang our favorite Christmas songs.
It was pure torture for Nathan for some reason. He had his head bent down and he was looking sideways with his eyes. At one point, he laid down on the floor, face down.
After awhile, I got a tablet and markers, and sat on the floor and started drawing while we sang.
He soon joined me and then sat on my lap with his fire truck.

We gave each other our pulled name gifts and then we gave other gifts. It was a wonderful Christmas.
(Michael and Jessica gave me a book a day or two later which had kind words from many lovely people. I couldn't stop crying and it made me want to be like the person they were writing about. I especially appreciated the words from our immediate and extended family members.)
We watched Home Alone together.

Christmas weekend, we went to Pa. Some went caroling. We had lunch at Joe and Karen's Christmas Day and had a nice time visiting. On Monday, we went to my brother, Abe's, for lunch. There were 3 new babies there. Oh, what fun. The kids played 'Now you have it, Now you don't.' We left there around 4 and got home by 9:30.

I'm leaving many details out but mostly, I want to say, that I am so thankful for family.
Our family, Phil's family, my family.
We love each other.
We are not perfect and all relationships are not perfect
but we love each other.
And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else or be part of anyone else's family.

My sister-in-law, Linda, told me she noticed that my blog was stuck on Politics and Burn Out.
So, now it's not stuck there anymore.
Thanks for reading, Linda.
And thanks for reading, friends.

We missed the Bantons this year but exchanged gifts via the mail.
I'm looking at a pillow cover that Lindsay made.
Black checked with a green Christmas tree. It covers a pillow on the glider-a gift from Happy Valley friends.

God was with us, is with us, and will be with us.
I am thankful.