happy holidays
everything is new. new underwear. new gadgets and toys. newly added pounds to the midsection. new year. but before i fold up the last one and tuck it away in some old moving box in the attic, i wanted to share our Christmas with you. it was a wonderful Christmas, mostly because of our son, Jack, who experienced it with all the wonder of a toddler, too young to really understanding much of the meaning of the celebration, but old enough to clearly understand that it was a celebration. and it was a warm Christmas. the picture of the holly above is right outside our house just a few days before Christmas. it was warm and octoberish. christmas, this year, was warm and manger-ish.
these are pictures of jack in the days leading up to Christmas. i don't know if every parent is as taken with their own child as i am, but, i just can't handle his cuteness. the hand in the pocket thing is his own doing. he is not receiving modeling directions here from shannon and i. 
so we had a very busy and worshipful Christmas eve. 2 services in the morning, 3 at night. we had dinner in between two of them at the local chinese restaurant, hoping to hear a little "fa ra ra ra ra," but there was no singing, only quick munching of fried rice and egg rolls. i preached to a congregation of about 320 people at one of our services. i talked about the miracle of the mundane, or, how God is in the most unexpected of places in our lives. like, for example, a toddler who puts his hand in his pocket...
i didn't get home and into bed until about 1:30 am on Christmas morning, and then i was up at 6, too excited to sleep, not for my own Christmas, but for Jack's! we didn't wake him up until about 7:30, but then we saw that santa had eaten his cookies and finished his milk, and that the reindeers had taken the carrots. he opened up the gifts in his stocking, and then all his presents from santa and mom and dad. i think i had more fun than he did. here are two pictures from Christmas morning at our house.
after opening presents and eating breakfast, we headed for pittsburgh to have Christmas with my mom and dad and sisters and brother-in-law. jack got to open more presents (he is really spoiled), and had a blast. we spent a couple of days visiting with my family, and then drove to warriors mark for christmas with shannon's family. jack got to open more presents (he is EXTREMELY spoiled), and had a blast. we spent a few days there, and then came home so i could preach sunday morning. then we turned right back around and drove to the poconos for a short new years eve/day visit with our friends billy and linda hendrickson. we had a great time with them, and now here we are, back to the grind, trying to find enough batteries, and putting things together, like this tricycle that jack got for christmas. its a little too big for him, but he'll grow into it.
like this year. 2007 seems wide open. alot could happen. but, we'll grow into it.
it's good to be back. i'll post more tomorrow. see you then.
greg.
Comments
a skinny pig sounds like an alcoholic beverage. but, all it really is what i need to be. okay, so maybe skinny isn't the right word. how about 'leaner pig?' i could stand to be a bit leaner.
greg.
Love his jammies- are those Diego? I can't get Gabriel to stop wearing those things.
love the sound of your christmas- glad it was merry and bright!
ps. loved the card design- shannon is muy talented.
blessings for all this new year holds in store!
i digged your "taken with your son" comments. it's such a crazy feeling to be so interested in every.single.little.detail. of your child's doings. i'm mesmerized by everything N. does. and of course i think she is the cutest little creation in the world. parenthood is such a whole different part of life. so many things have changed for me. things that i read/watch/hear hit me so differently now that i know what it's like to be a mother. some of the tragedies of this world are so much closer to me now. that was someone's son or daughter... i'm rambling on to the dark side, so i'll stop...
erin