A busy weekend again but very enjoyable.
Signs that Christmas is almost upon us . . .
The children's Nativity play at the end of Mass, complete with toddler shepherd wandering up and down the aisle not sure whether or not he wanted to be part of this 'thing' going on in front of the sanctuary; complete with Away in a Manger sung by the tiny tots which of course never fails to produce damp eyes in all the adults present.
Our younger son coming home for his Christmas visit - hooray!
The tree being put up at home and the crib and figures unwrapped from their protective wrappings. All the figures are 'swaddled' in our crib as they rest in the loft.
Drinks and nibbles with the neighbours - coming up this evening.
Saturday morning whilst I was struggling to finalise Christmas rotas at church, my menfolk were putting up the tree at home and going through the annual routine of testing lights and testing each other's patience as they struggled to put the outside lights up around the house.
Here's a photo of their handiwork . . .
The crib is now in-situ, minus the all-important 'Baby Jesus' of course. He won't put in an appearance until we get back home after Midnight Mass.
One of the lovely things about Christmas, I always think, is the way family traditions are built up. They might be things that you did in your own family and then continue when you have your own children, or they could be traditions that you have created anew with your own family. Quite often they are silly little things that you do or say and they are taken up by family members and become part of the way that your family celebrates Christmas.
Talking to other parents with grown-up children, I know that it's not peculiar to our family, that the age of the children seems to make very little difference.
I can't remember when we started placing our 'Wise Men/Kings' a distance from the crib, in 'The East' and moving them nearer until they took up their place in the crib proper, complete with their gifts.
Here they are today, still a little way off . . .
I doubt if I'll find time to post anything else before Christmas so I'd just like to wish everyone a very Happy and Holy Christmas.
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