old and new welcome here

it is eerily quiet this afternoon,
even with Kyle listening to a football game right next to me
and Xavier working puzzles in the playroom
Beth and her family
Sarah and her family
left a while ago
so I went from a house full 
at least 15  people, usually more,
to 5 of us, and 2 are napping

the week between Christmas and New Year's is our family's time
somehow the kids worked it out when they married
that Thanksgiving is spent with their spouse's family
December 24-January 1 is spent together in Grayson
it works well for us
Bill and I always looked forward to it
I still do

this year some things were the same, 
some were changed
the families that live out of town came in throughout Christmas Day 
not Christmas Eve
we did not line the steps to hear the Christmas story before doing stockings
we did not sing happy birthday to Jesus before opening gifts
I did not purchase gifts for the grandchildren to open

we did celebrate and sing later in the week 
complete with birthday hats and noisemakers for the first time
why in the world did I think noisemakers were a good idea?

one family had to leave mid-week
our white elephant gift exchange was Wednesday afternoon
we may add an older cousin's white elephant exchange next year

this year my gift to the grandchildren was experiences-
we went to Steak and Shake for milkshakes and afterward to Central Park 
we made Gingerbread houses and frosted sugar cookies
I talked to each one individually some time this week
we went to the mall, did a little shopping and got Auntie Anne's pretzels

New Years Eve included our traditional 1,000 piece puzzle
including needing to look for a few missing pieces at the end
we ate our Puppy Chow
but not our slew of other snacks
we watched the Ball drop on a computer screen rather than TV
we called Bill's sister a few minutes after midnight to sing Happy Birthday
we had root beer floats
today the last two out of town families headed home,
thankful to have been here, eager to get back to their "nests"

as I sit here,
New Year's Day afternoon
I think about the things I wanted to do this week,
but circumstances didn't allow them to happen
we took turns battling a stomach bug, someone different every day
I look at things we did get to do this week
and my heart smiles
I have no regrets,
because we have learned to appreciate and maximize moments

what does 2017 hold?
no one knows for sure, but,
we are expecting a new baby boy in March
we have reservations for the beach Dec. 30-Jan. 6
we will continue to grow and change and learn how to love one another well