Thankfully everything’s falling into place for Christmas. The Christmas tree is up in the sitting room and odd bits of tinsel through the house. Everyday the postman brings a few more Christmas cards which we open eagerly looking for newsy news from our friends and far flung relations. Our two girls are now home, almost.
Amongst the of bags in the hallway is a wetsuit, a climber’s chalk bag, a buoyancy aid and all kinds of outdoorsy kit. Although I like the house to be nice and tidy, I also do quite like this as it’s a nice reminder of my family being here. Here’s how the last few days have gone:
Saturday 15 December Rachel and I got up really early and set off for Exeter at 4.30am. We missed the M25 chaos very nicely. We got there in time for Becky to surface from her slumber and gradually get her things loaded in the car. As she lives in a rented student house, we did the washing up and put out the rubbish into the wheelie bin, as you do. We drove back via my friend Wallie who lives near Warminster.
Sunday, a nice day of rest.
Monday 17 December. We took Becky to the train station at Milton Keynes as she headed up to North Wales to be with Hannah as she concluded her last bit of work for this year. This apparently involved storing a number of boats away from the water and generally making sure everything was well tied down and able to withstand any storms.
Wednesday 19 December. Becky and Hannah arrive home in the morning, so nice having them at home together and this is the first time since September. Very precious.
Thursday 20 December. Becky heads off in Hannah’s car to see her house mate Cesca at her parent’s home somewhere in the south west. Mid journey she calls to say she’d stopped at a service station and the car won’t start. Advised her to turn everything off (lights, air con and so on). Car restarts, seems she had left the headlights on while the engine was off for 20 minutes. Phew. Rachel and I then took Hannah over to somewhere near Welwyn in Hertfordshire, so she could have a sleepover with one of her college friends. Becky heads to David’s house, perhaps until Sunday.
Friday 21 December – today! Rachel drives over to collect Hannah and returns via the hospital as Hannah needs to drop in for her surgery pre-operative checks.
I am loving this time of year. Every Christmas is a precious time of year. Aside from the reminder of our saviour being born into the World, it is a cosy, mid winter time where our family gathers together. We keep the pressured, commercial trappings at arms length and rise above the materialistic side of Christmas. It is so precious, we know this Christmas is the last with both girls at home; next year Becky gets married and it is probably important for them to start their first Christmas in their own home (not that we can’t see them at all, it’s just it will be different).
Feeling very blessed.