Christmas musings

It was a beautiful, quiet, peaceful Christmas. The new roof was done in time for the snow and sleet. No more dripping skylights. Charles flew into town in the wee hours of Christmas eve, after spending considerable time grounded in Phoenix.
For Christmas eve we had red chili posole and green chili stew accompanied by our traditional sauerkraut. We finished off dinner with chocolate cheesecake and then went to celebrate Christ's birth in worship at Calvary church. After service we took in a movie, "National Treasure". It was a very fun and wholesome movie.
Charles, Stephanie, and Cara spent Christmas day with their dad. I took myself to another movie, "Juno". This is certainly one of the best of this year's films. It is smart, funny, sweet, and heartwarming.
The girls, Charles and I have enjoyed our time together this week, cooking, feasting, playing, talking, and bundling up to stay warm. Of course, we've had to make sure Charles go his fill of green chile-spiked meals. It has been very cold here, below freezing all day and in the teens at night. Brrrr. My pellet stove has developed a glitch and is not working as well as it should. I've had the repair man out twice. The poor gas furnace is working overtime trying to keep the house warm.
I've so enjoyed reading family and friends' cards and letters and marveling how my friends' kids are growing. As for my family, Charles is training for his first marathon, even braving the bitter cold here to run his daily miles. Stephanie is certainly enjoying her break from lectures and studying| and writing papers. She'll go back to school on the 22nd of January. Cara is continuing to work on her blogging, her writing, and reading teen novels. Aaron and his family stayed home this year enjoying the warm California sun. And Nicholas and his family are spending the holidays in Washington with Danielle's parents.All in all, it has been a very full year and I have much to be thankful for: my family, my friends, and God's unfailing presence in my life. I pray for a wonder filled 2008 for all of us.