I took the last of my family, that was visiting for the holidays, to the airport at 5 am this morning. The house is fairly quiet, except for the washing machine and dryer, which will be cleaning and drying sheets and towels all day. My wife and I have our offices and bedroom back, and over the next week, or so, I will be taking down and packing up all the Christmas decorations. I am back to work, but fortunately my seminary semester has not yet begun, as I am fighting off the shared cold of my sisters-in-law, I think it will be at least a week before we are fully back to “normal” around the house.

We added three more stockings before Christmas arrived.

The house was overflowing, with people sleeping on the sofa, and four at the nearby hotel. The freezer, refrigerator, and a lot of the pantry is empty. I did not have time to mail Christmas cards, or money to buy presents for everyone. We went to Tahoe, but I did not ski or get to play in the snow. I spent part of my vacation finishing a term paper, and I did not buy a new big screen HD TV.

I did get to have the company of nearly all my family. There were enough people around that wanted baby-time that I did not have to change too many diapers. I planned and participated in, with three other of our pastors, a great child dedication service on December 26, in which my daughter was dedicated along with three other children. I ate good food, but moderated my portions.

I received some cool gifts, but what I have mostly been left with is clean up, a cold, and memories. It was a very good Christmas.

©2011 Paul Tillman