Adams' Christmas

 Lo, how a rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse's lineage coming as prophets long have sung,
It came, a flow'ret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half-spent was the night.

Our final Christmas party of the season was one we missed the past 2 years -- Have I mentioned in any of these posts how thankful I am that Covid didn't interrupt any of our plans this year?!?  We don't take that for granted anymore.  Our Adams' Christmas party was a little smaller this year with just Ashli & Eric, Kyle & Sara, and the kids.  We always have a great time with our lifelong friends!  And there is always plenty of food :)

After filling our bellies, the adults stayed upstairs to catch up while the kids went downstairs.  I love that, even though the kids are older, they still love to play!

They were downstairs most of the evening, but did come up briefly to perform a little ditty on some kiddie handbells they found.  It was a very special rendition of "Little Drummer Boy."

And here are all of the party-goers at our final party!

(that last picture was thrown in as a bonus)  I'm so thankful we were able to get together again!  What an awesome Christmas season we had spent with friends and family!

O Savior, child of Mary, who felt our human woe; 
O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray to the bright courts of heaven,
And to the endless day.

Dwyer Family Christmas

Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story, now proclaim Messiah's birth.
Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.

After getting home from church and meal delivery, on Christmas afternoon we headed to Grandpa Denny and Grandma Jo's house.  But for the first time ever, we didn't drive down 56-Highway; we only drove half a mile down our road!  You see, about a year ago Jo and Denny started renovating the house down the road that Scott and Joy's family lived in for a few years, and has since been a rental home.   You'll see what a beautiful job they've done in this post!  Jo's Christmas decorations are always beautiful.

 

Violet and Grandpa checked out the big pile o' gifts before dinner. 

Jo made some yummy soups and Grandma Shirley's Christmas punch as a special treat for our evening.  And as an extra-special treat, Grandma Shirley was there to celebrate with us also!

Some family pictures:

Then Grandma Jo handed out stockings. There are always lots of goodies to be found in Grandma's stockings!

Then we got busy unwrapping all of those gifts.  Calvin got a new Carhart coat; Oliver got a football; and the girls got boots and hoodies.

We got Jo and Denny a few things for their new home, some more practical like a step ladder and towels, and others more pretty like this Wilford Sinclair wood carving.

What a wonderful evening spent in Jo & Denny's cozy new home!

Regardless of where we are, though, it's these people who make me thankful every single day!  I'm so blessed with this family!

Saints before the altar bending, watching long in hope and fear,

Suddenly the Lord, descending, in His temple shall appear.
Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.

Christmas Morning

 O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him born the king of angels:
O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!

Even though we've hit the stage when none of the kids actually believe in Santa, it's still fun to have all of their gifts out when they wake up on Christmas morning!

Calvin wanted a massage gun and clothes; and Oliver asked for a golf net (the huge 10' x 7' thing you see in the background).

Violet asked for a new cup (wow! what a surprisingly-different request!) and Evelyn wanted a "reading nook" and new whiteboard for her room.

Evelyn requested to be the first one up and she was excited to see her gifts! She got some bonus boots and fuzzy pajama pants.

Violet was up next.  She got some bonus "goober grape" spread and a bean bag chair, which she quickly managed to tip over.

The boys came up last and didn't really get anything bonus other than the usual socks and deodorant.

Checking out and trying out their new goodies!

 After playing with our gifts for a bit, we went to church to once again receive the REAL gift of Christmas -- Jesus! 

With the Advent wreath fully lit including the Christ candle, our sanctuary was ready to receive the Christ child.

During the Nicene Creed, Pastor Wehling had us pause for silent reflection after confessing, "who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man." We repeat these words every week and it can become easy to gloss over them, but on the Christmas Day especially, it's amazing to truly sit in awe of the incarnation.  God was made man. For us.

Pastor gave a wonderful message using a wrapped gift to show us that a thing can only hold what will fit inside. . . yet the infinite God fit himself in a finite human baby so that we can behold him!  In the Old Testament, he put his glory in the Ark of the Covenant, and in these New Testament times, he puts himself in the bread and the wine to come to us bodily. What an amazing gift we get to receive each time we come to the altar! 

"For in Christ, the whole fullness of Deity dwells bodily." Colossians 2:9  

After church, we once again delivered meals to homebound families in Douglas County.  The kids made Christmas cards to share the love of Jesus along with the meals.

We had a fantastic Christmas morning, yes, receiving a few wish-list gifts, but most importantly, receiving the gift of Jesus with our church family!

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given!
Word of the Father now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!