4:30 p.m. Today's project was to sort through the many, but modest, gifts still in their shipping boxes in my office, along with our Christmas cards. Good thing no one comes in here but me! I'm not the best at hiding and disguising things, other than turning around the brand-name labeled boxes from one company so the name doesn't show.
The quantity of gifts goes up with each marriage we celebrate in our family! We've had a bit of a tradition with Heather's in-laws, the Loves, which has resulted in our receiving some gorgeous handmade wooden items, such as the tree topper we now use, and the cutting board and wooden fruit bowl Nick's dad John made for us. I like to give flowering plants, gift baskets or a craft item. This year, we'll include Kriss' in-laws and probably Pavel's parents in fun gifts from SHHH...The Popcorn Factory. Or should marriage be the criteria? I'll be pondering that one. Wouldn't want to be premature...
Of course the kids, their spouses and significant others are on the gift list, as is my dad, my former daughter-in-law and and Sean's boys, our grandsons. Blessedly, I expect the list to grow as our younger four kids begin to "be fruitful and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28). I love God's plan for marriage and family, especially the grandkids part!
"Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged," Proverbs 17:6 says, NLT, and I can attest to that, and definitely am looking forward to attesting some more!
We had two pleasant surprises today. This morning, my dad popped over with a condolence card for my sister-in-law Michaele for Larry's passing, and brought Steve a Deluxe McDonald's breakfast. Problem was, Steve had finished a huge bowl of oatmeal and a bagel not 30 minutes before. He wasn't hungry, but ate an English muffin. We promised my dad that Steve would have the scrambled eggs and sausage sandwich for lunch, which he did. That big breakfast proved to be the gift that kept on giving, because Steve ate the pancakes and syrup after he came in from time in the backyard with the dogs.
Finished wrapping my gifts, placed them under the tree, ate my salad, and was taking a quick nap when our son-in-law Nick called, offering to bring over Marie Callendar's soup and cornbread. Not one to turn down any freebie, I texted him to come right over. We had a nice visit, caught up on the latest, and Steve and I will enjoy a nice minestrone with excellent cornbread...Marie Callendar's is the best. And from a long-time cornbread maker, that's no small praise!
I'm reminded that part of the celebration of the Jews' deliverance in the book of Esther, commemorated to this day as the Feast of Purim, was the "giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor" (Esther 9:22).
I think that's a good practice for us Christians as well!
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