Yes, I'm late getting all of this up ... I've been busy with Church, my father's side of the family's Christmas gathering (eatin' meetin' as my cousin has dubbed it), visiting my father and allowing the children to visit, taking care of sick family, cleaning house, baking cookies for presents, a little shopping, gymnastics, Horse Quiz Bowl practice, mailing presents to the son that won't be able to make it home for Christmas, and taking the teen girls to Matushka's so that Matushka can pack while they watch after the children. I'm just now sitting to do something for myself :) Isn't that the way it always is with mamas?
Anyway, here are a couple of shoes with their goodies that the children got to celebrate St. Nicholas day.
So the children were able to see their little gifts but they weren't happy about not being able to eat them since it was Sunday morning and we had communion. Oh well, yet another lesson in not getting what you want instantly.
We chose a new place to stand in Church to see about getting some of the unruly behavior under control - it dampened much of it but then again I need to wait for the newness of it to wear off before deciding that it's done much good. I had to get Isaiah up out of the chair several times - he would sit there with his coat on backwards and the hood over his face.
I tell you this because of something he said to me the night before as we left Church a different way as we needed to get gas. Nearly right across the street (we are in a curve and this is right around the curve where you can't visually see it) is a protestant church. So we turn right instead of left and Isaiah sees this church and exclaims, "UH, there is another church right close to our Church!" Me- "Yes, there is. There are a lot of churches in this area." Isaiah- "Huh, well, I still wanna go to St. Mary's cause that one isn't as Orthodoxic as St. Mary's."
All I could do was grin as my heart swelled.
Unfortunately we had to leave directly after communion, instead of sharing in the feast, as we had to head across the state straightaway to get to the Maner Family Christmas. For the very first time we were the first ones there. We had most everything set up by the time the next people started showing up. Only 28 were there :( For such a large family, it's always sad to see but about half (27 were missing). My dad of course was in the hospital. My uncle is in the hospital in Tennessee so his family stayed there to be near him as he is really bad off right now (I'm sadly anticipating another funeral soon)... that's 6 more. My brother had to work and his wife and children are sick (still) - that's 6 more. One of my cousins and his family simply didn't show up - said they were coming and then just didn't - no explanations and they are alright... that's 5 more. Then there's the cousin who shows up with her family if she doesn't have other social obligations to attend - which is unutterably sad to me.
After a fun-filled afternoon and simply reveling in the younger generations of cousins hanging out my little family went to see my father. It was the first time all of the children save Tamara have seen their grandfather since he went in the hospital over 2 months ago. We had to take them in one at a time. I stayed with him the whole time while my mom brought each one in to say hi for a few minutes. I love my daddy so much and it is so upsetting to see him like this. All I could do was cry as we walked out the door of the hospital. The children were somber as we left. They now understand how sick he is. And all because of a surgeon's mistake. I try so hard to remember that doctor's and surgeon's are also people and make mistakes just as the rest of us, but sometimes I still get upset about it.
I hope everyone had a wonderful St. Nicholas Day.
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