Christmas Eve.

(Hmm... I was wondering where this went! I thought I had published it and I hadn't... so here it is now, to keep the continuity with what is to follow.)



I love the opening and closing scene in the film Love Actually. It shows the Arrivals in an airport, people coming home, coming to visit, people seeing loved ones again. There are tears and laughter and hugs, and it never fails to bring a tear to my eye. Here on the nightly news there have been tearful joyful scenes from Dublin airport shown. As our Christmas preparations come to the final hour, I find again and again my thoughts are filled with certain beloveds of our family who won't be with us this Christmas. How I long to have been there, at the Arrivals, in Dublin, waiting for you Emma and Mike, Marta and Sam, to welcome you home, to bring you home to share Christmas with us here.
(It has to be said though, they are in Guatemala and Buenos Aires respectively, so I am guessing they will be having pretty special, and warm, Christmas's!!)

We have had Sufjan Stevens Christmas Songs on loop in the car, we've had a Charlie Brown Christmas on youtube in the kitchen as we cook. We have been tracking Santa all evening. We have been baking, sewing, gluing, painting, cooking, eating, wrapping presents, cleaning, tidying, vacuuming, rearranging, visiting, and generally putting the finishing touches to Christmas 2008. And though I didn't get to do my wreath this year (something had to go!) and though I feel a cold coming on, I am determined to take some time to pause, and simply enjoy tomorrow, and what I am most looking forward to is spending time with my family, to actually hang out with my brothers and chat and relax with no one rushing off.

So, until the weekend, if I don't squeeze in a quick post tomorrow, here's wishing you all a wonderful, peaceful Christmas, with family, friends and plenty of laughter!