It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone and here it is Christmas Eve. This past weekend we made a trip down to Charleston. Friday night we went to my mom's friend Judy's house for her annual Christmas party. Saturday morning my mom, Kileigh, and I went to Judy's house for the "Girlfriend Christmas". It was Kileigh's 1st of I hope many Girlfriend Christmas's over the years.
In the afternoon, we went over to my brother and sister-in-law's house for Catherine's graduation party. She just graduated with her Master's degree in Social Work from EIU. We got her the movie Fireproof and the Game of Things, which we cracked open and played. What a fun game! It was a fun evening - good food, good fellowship.
Sunday morning we took Kileigh to Wesley for church. It has been a long time since I have been there, but I felt like I had come "home". My heart will always be with my "home church", the one I spent a lot of time in during my childhood, high school, and college days. Little did I know at the time when I went there for girl scout meetings, that I would end up going to church there and being confirmed there. It was great to see "old friends" and see new faces as well.
Sunday afternoon/evening we did our family Christmas. We had a bunch of appetizers and desserts and munched all day long. I think that's the best way to do it. Mark, Catherine, Kevin, and I played Buzz Word while my mom wrapped presents. The best thing was watching Kileigh open all her presents. If you poke a hole in the paper, she will tear it off and can open a present. She also will pull the paper out of a bag and pull out the present that way too.
We came home Monday morning because Kevin had a doctor's appt in the early afternoon. I put all of Kileigh's presents away in her playroom and did some laundry.
Tuesday I needed to finalize my Christmas shopping, so I spent most of the day going from store-to-store and then wrapping everything when I got home.
Yesterday, my friend Theresa, her mom, and her kids Gabriel and Mia were able to come over for a visit. I brought Kileigh's slide in from the garage and rearranged her playroom, so the kids enjoyed playing with her toys and watching Wall E. We exchanged presents for the kids. Kileigh got her friends coloring books, books, puzzles, and crayons. They got her a cute pink and brown outfit and a toy broom.
Last night we took Christmas presents to a needy family in Joliet that we found out about through WBGL's Random Acts of Christmas. They have two boys and were very appreciative of our generosity and kindness. It was nice to know that despite their struggles, they still give back and reach out to others in need. That's what it's all about, helping others in need and paying it forward. God has definitely blessed us and we were thankful for the opportunity to bless someone else and make their Christmas a little brighter this year. God is Good All the Time! All the Time God is Good!
Alas Christmas Eve day has finally arrived. I put away some laundry this morning, packed Kileigh's bag for Grandma's house, packed the presents in the car, went to take care of the dogs, made peanut clusters, and now I sit here writing my blog while Kileigh is eating lunch next to me. Our plans this evening include going to church and then going to Kevin's parent's house, which is our Christmas Eve tradition. We usually have dinner and play games. Tomorrow morning we will open our presents and go to Kevin's grandma's house later in the day.
The rest of my break will be spent dog sitting, spending time with family and friends, figuring out where to put all of Kileigh's new toys, and going to an Illini game.
Merry Christmas to one and to all!
Kevin, Beth, & Kileigh
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