Day 13 Christmas Countdown 2022
The days are tumbling by quickly now as we finish up last minute preparations for gatherings and enjoy all the times with friends and family, concerts and programs, parties and the little gifts we exchange just because we want people to know we appreciate them in our lives.
I have told you in other posts in the past about my cousin’s wife, Betty, who has written a couple of books I have shared and also is a consultant for businesses on communication. She operates all of this through (https://www.cornerstone-ct.com) and you can check that out after you read this.
The whole Countdown to Christmas idea started with something she and I did many years ago as we were hustling around the many responsibilities of our work, volunteering, and raising kiddos.
We would shoot an email every other day or so with the latest non-Pinterest worthy moments of our baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, concerts, etc that were being crammed into already full to overflowing schedules. These were all true, but often embellished for the purpose of making the reader laugh.
Somehow those email exchanges connected us on a deeper level. Relationships may be forged through marriages, but they often migrate into feeling like blood kin and for this we are so grateful.
This past week she posted a picture of a tray of Christmas goodies she had made while her grands were visiting and these are the words she added to the picture:
The boys “helped Nana” bake Christmas cookies yesterday and take full credit for this end result. What really happened: Azi and Mo watched the same movie in 2 different rooms, magically showing up at exactly the right time to lick batters and steal candy; Wes slept; Papa “monitored the situation”, Kalli ran errands. Most of the cookies went home with them.
Betty Lochner <3
Papa is my cousin (who is more like a brother) Kenny, Kalli is their daughter and Azi, Mo and Wes are the three grandsons that keep their “empty nest” filled up on the weekly.
They are like us and help provide care for working parents a few days a week.
I am thankful for the laughter we shared back in the busy days of our own parenting and even more now, as I am able to chuckle when I read between the lines and nod my head for our current season.
How thankful I am for people who make me feel like I am not alone.
When Russ and I are scooping up sprinkles that got overpoured or finishing up the last details of a craft that the kiddos lost interest in or have to divide and conquer the troops to keep peace, it’s good to laugh and know we aren’t doing something wrong.
We are doing our best and kids will be kids from now until Jesus returns, so we can laugh and hang in there and share with friends and family who will nod…knowingly and laugh with us <3