Celebrating Christmas in our winter wonderland this year is awesome. Having the snow covered trees and still-falling snow gives a true softening to our external environment and invites a quiet and peaceful presence that comes from slowing down the pace of life. It is such an unforeseen blessing, such an unusual event to have snow blanketing our city for weeks on end. The snow has been around so long that the boys aren't running out the door to go sledding or build forts or bomb each other with sneak-snowball attacks.

All the beautiful snow almost makes up for the loss of our dishwasher (poor, broken? electric dishwasher). Yesterday the adults did the hand washing ("Let the kids play, it's Christmas!" said Grandma Billie). Soon, the reality of our new kitchen situation will hit home. (No, we're not switching over to paper plates!) This experience of "roughing it" without the convenience of the automatic dishwasher may put an end to the ongoing complaints/mantra of one Adams' boy, who is known to proclaim "I HATE the dishwasher!" For now our dishwasher is the drying rack for the hand-washed dishes.

Our Christmas celebration of the Eucharist at Mass was the highlight of my day, with the boys serving and Tim and I reading. Their friends Lorrie and Josie were a duet in the choir, with their mom on piano and their dad on the bass. Their voices mirrored the angels' voices ~ such a gift for our community! In his (wonderful) homily, Father encouraged us to put aside the noisiness & busy-ness of the secular 'Christmas' and focus wholly on the gift of Christ... in silence and awe. He emphasized that of course we want to join the angels and saints in joyous celebration and praise, but that we should first follow the shepherds to the crib and stop in silence and adoration for the gift of Jesus' birth. Such a profound gift, such an awesome wonder to behold!

Today Tim will join us for daily Mass (he has the day off!), and later in the day the boys are going to see a movie (Marley & Me) with Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff. We're not theater-goers, so it's a special event to go see a movie on the big screen. Tomorrow we are leaving for an overnight adventure seeing friends and family down in University Place.

Still the snow is softly falling....