Christmas 2019

Update: I’m writing this post on February 2nd. The windows are open and it is 70 degrees in Nashville. The weather and my brother’s death make Christmas feel like it was a very long time ago.

Despite all this, future Monkey, Buster, Yessa, Buds, or Ginnie reading this, it was a beautiful Christmas.

Onward to the post:

Our Christmas began a few days before Christmas Eve and continued a few days past Christmas Day.

Exactly as I like it.

Buds worked from home, which is my favorite gift, and that gave us all extra time together.

Buds’ Christmas present to me was some temporary dragonfly tattoos. He and Yessa gave me the tattoo parlor treatment to help me get ready for Christmas.

Bwahahaha. To clarify that picture above, my leg is resting on Buddie’s leg. It looks like I am going full natural with one leg and mostly hairless on the other.

Yessa’s Family Secret Santa requests were largely Christmas Decoration-related items, so her Secret Santa got them to her early so we could enjoy them longer.

Some of us went to a movie on Christmas Eve Day, and that was excellent. Some of us liked Jumanji II better than Jumanji 1, and some of us were wrong.

Christmas Eve was all about church.

Monkey and I wore our Christmas dresses again, which were a big hit.

Lots of family involvement at the Christmas Eve Service at church.

Monkey and Imani had a reading. (Thena and I got a little confused.)

Then Fi and I had our turn:

Then Buds and Ginnie headed over for Bell Choir.

Thanks to Yessa for all the videos.

We love bell choir so much, and Fi is so patient with all of us. It makes me smile and laugh, and I look forward to the day we might play with real brass bells and great, resounding tones.

Until then, we’ll continue to tinkle away with joy.

After church we headed home for our annual tradition of one gift each.

Christmas Day was a delight of relaxed time together, opening gifts, playing games, reading, and an afternoon workout.

In the days that followed, still connected to Christmas, we played with puppies that cousins were fostering (after the workout), had a delicious meal over at cousins’ house as an additional Christmas Brunch, more games, reading, time together, and gratitude.

Cousins’ provided the house, we provided the food; A perfect arrangement.

The Christmas season ended with Yessa and me taking a cousin for her Christmas present of dinner out and to see Frozen II, and in a delightful surprise, a handmade gift from some dear friends.

As is generally the case, we had no idea of the sorrow and storms headed our way, which is just as it should be.

It was a wonderful Christmas.