Merry Christmas to friends and family - a little bit late. Its - TopicsExpress

Merry Christmas to friends and family - a little bit late. Its been a different type of holiday season this year... The joy of new love and new discoveries is tempered with care and concern for family. On a bright note, this is the second year celebrating the Advent to Christmas with a new or gently used book each day for pre-readers in the fam. Last year, it was only Braden and Zelly (my neighbor boy). This year, with Du, we expanded to 5 children, adding Brody, Zelda, and Super Ronald. The real gift behind the books is the snuggles and shared conversations between parent and child. The idea is to associate love and cuddles with books and reading (and Christmas, of course.) This is not an original idea. I found it on Pinterest last year. On a different note, Dus father Heber is in the hospital going through treatments for MM Leukemia. He is doing well but is very tired right now. In bringing down his white blood cell count to zero, his body and spirit are more prone to illness and depleted energy. I can honestly say that I have never known a more positive and upbeat person in the face of this challenge. Our thankful is the great medical care he is receiving and that Mary is able to stay so close. Josh has new love (Melanie) who we really enjoyed meeting at Thanksgiving. The two were supposed to be in Indy for 3 days at Christmas. Unfortunately both were at varying stages of bronchitis and had to stay back at the base. Our thankfuls for this are these: 1. That they have solid medical care on base. 2. That they didnt come up here and share. 3. That they appear to be nursing one another through this (first Josh, then Melanie). But these thankfuls did not stop me from shedding tears this when I realized this morning that I didnt see either Sarah or Josh this Christmas... Other than this, everyone is healthy and safe. Christmas this year was peaceful... Du and I ate duck and swordfish and lamb for our first Christmas dinner together. But when I realized I was eating lamb chops, it made me think of Lamb Chop and I think like frog legs and Kermie, I might not have lamb again. All is well in Indy. Making plans, but still trying to live each day in the moment it offers. And sincerely thankful that each of you touch our lives in big and small ways...