Christmas Eve is here....

The time has arrived...the actual celebration of the birth of Baby Jesus is here. We have finished our wrapping...ordered our pizza dinner...a tradition for our family on the Eve of Santa's arrival in the wee hours of the morning. I have feasted on sweet treats almost all day....energy booster for stamina. Now I am writing my actual Christmas cards to loved ones and enjoying my Ovaltine hot cocoa...stamina is important when one does Christmas Cheer activities all day. I am wearing my special jingle bell and ribbon necklace and feeling very grateful for my life shared right this moment. We went over to Tina and Ryan's to share a quiet evening of laughter with the movie "Elf" and pizza ...then we enjoyed the girls as they opened their gifts and made plans for a sleepover on Tuesday. The sun was out today and the deer were grazing outside my back door...they seem to know they are an extended part of the family here on Stewart's mountain...mountain is poetic license during this Christmas frivolity.

I am watching the corny Lifetime movies ...I forget how many Christmas and Holiday movies they have shown during the last 24 days. Tomorrow we will get up early to have Christmas with Erin and Chance and their family. I do not get up easily at 6 AM for many but for my grandchildren I will do almost anything! Then we are helping the Salome Family Free Christmas Dinner for our community. I spoke to carol this afternoon and they have over 1200 dinners to deliver tomorrow...this is the largest dinner ever so they need many elves to deliver the gift of a warm Christmas dinner : turkey, ham. mashed potatoes with gravy, dressing,green beans with ham, hot rolls with butter and an assortment of desserts with coffee and tea. Yum Yum!!!! Now you know why I am praying for stamina for the next 24 hours :0)!

I am so grateful for so many experiences and people in my life. I found something I wrote earlier this year and thought it might be something to repeat tonight.
Open your eyes
Open your heart
See the sky
Really see the sky
Practice gratitude
See the faces of the people you meet
Listen for the whispers from ancestors
Know that Life flows together
Open your heart
Gifts and blessings from our eyes
Smile and touch
Celebrate the quiet moments
Create a soft place to land
Share your quiet space
Embrace the simple gifts we are all given each daily
Be present in your living
Open your eyes
Open your hearts
See the sky...really see the miraculous miracle in the moment
See the faces you meet each day
Listen for whispers and echoes you receive
Remember those who came before you
Cradled you
Blessed you and witnessed the beauty that only you have to share
Blessings.
Merry Christmas to you all and to all a good night!

Happy 10th birthday to Sabrina Leigh!