Christmas’s 2023 is over and done! What a wonderful day we had today celebrating Christmas together. There is nothing I love more than being with my family.
Craig and Nancy hosted us and served a wonderful lunch. We played lots of games that were great fun. The grandkids raked in the gifts and the adults did OK too. We also celebrated Ellexia’s 14th birthday. She loved the cake Traci Hale made. It had a cheerleading theme to it.
Unfortunately due to illness, Jason and his gang couldn’t come. We sure missed them today but understand they needed to stay home and get to feeling better. I brought their haul of presents home and dropped them off along with leftovers when I got back into Emporia.
I drove to Wichita today and stopped three times on the way home trying to fill my car up with gas. The first time I stopped at Benton and the card reader wasn’t working and I didn’t want to go inside. The second stop was at the Matfield Green Service Area. After I entered my zip code it asked if I wanted a receipt. I pushed the no button and it canceled the transaction. I tried again and pushed the yes button and the same thing happened. I stopped at a gas station on the east side of Emporia and the first pump I pulled up to was out of service. I drove around and this one worked. What is up with all that today? Didn’t know buying gas would be the hard part of the day.
Got home around 4:30 and got the car unloaded and then ran down to get the chicken chores done before I lost day light. They gave me 14 eggs today. Go girls!
Got rid of most of the Christmas treats. I need to make a batch of fudge in the morning and then can deliver treats to my two brothers in Lebo and get Gene’s box ready to mail Monday. I will throw in the rest of the other treats and get rid of them all. Then Christmas will officially be over for me for 2023.
This was one of the more fun Christmas celebrations we have had. The games add such fun to the day. Got some good pictures of the group eating a plate of whipped cream to get to a money reward on the plate. All were good sports and had fun finding their prize. We were able to laugh and have fun and enjoy each other today with no drama or fuss. What a delight it is to spend time with my kiddos and their families.
Feels so good to have Christmas over with for the year. It was one of the least stressful Christmas I have ever done. I got started early and didn’t have to rush through any of it. Doing it early in December helped too. I wasn’t burned out from all the Christmas excess that is everywhere these days. I can’t quite say I am fond of Christmas but if all Christmas’s can be like this one, I may become fond of it again.
Now I can turn my attention to preparing for Winter Solstice and the New Year. I have lots of empty space ahead for me and I will need to give some thought as to what I want to do with it. I have several people that I need to contact and schedule a time to go visit. I have put off going to see them and no longer have a reason to do that. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone and I need to take advantage of this empty space time and reconnect with some dear ones.
Nothing on my calendar tomorrow except for getting my brother’s treats ready for them. Monday the blind/shade lady is coming and Tuesday the furnace repair guy will be here. The rest of the week is free. I will need to go to town one day and get some groceries and go to the chiropractor but I will work that in when I am in the mood to go to town.
I’m tired tonight. I woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. Betting it will be an early to bed type of night for me tonight. It will be nice to get to sleep in next week. The last two weeks I have had to get up and be dressed by 8:00 in case the window guys showed up when they said they would. With no blinds I had no privacy in the bathroom to get showered and dressed.
Basking in the love from today. There is nothing better for my heart than to spend the day with my family.
Grateful for the time with the family, grateful Christmas 2023 is a wrap, and grateful for safe travels today.