Posted on December 20, 2010 - by Lorna Seilstad
“This Baby”
Thirty-two people filled our home yesterday to celebrate Christmas. It was a day filled with joy and love—and a lot of presents. My nephew Jason was assigned to keep a tally. He came up with a figure of 145 gifts.
We had a wonderful sit down dinner. I had to make three tables. We put one in the dining room, two six foot tables in the living room, and one six foot table in my daughter’s room for some of the kids. I hope to add a picture or two of the event later today, so stop back and check them out.
(The picture on the left is of the table in the living room.)
It’s been a particularly difficult Christmas season for which to prepare. With both my husband and daughter having been in the hospital, much of the preparations have fallen on me. Thank goodness my college-age son came home on Thursday!
When the season gets so busy, and I know it does for each of us, it’s easy to forget the most important things about Christmas. First and foremost, God’s love poured out on us through the birth of a savior. And second, the blessing of loved ones and friends who travel this journey of life by our side.
(The picture on the right is of a “reindeer” my daughter made from the gifts we had for their cousins.)
We here at Inkspirational Messages want to send you a Christmas card video every day in the next couple of weeks. (Of course, like all Christmas cards, some will come after the new year.) We pray this will help us all keep the true meaning and spirit of Christmas close to our hearts and will start the new year off with our focus in the right place.
(The picture on the left is the whole crew. Fifteen are under age 18.)
My choice is “This Baby” by Steven Curtis Chapman. I hope it will touch you as much as it did me.
Merry Christmas to all Inksper friends!
14 Comments
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December 20, 2010
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Brenda Anderson said:
I’m trying to picture where you’d put 32 people in your house, plus 145 presents. Could you even walk? Sounds like fun.
Love the song & the video. That’s a perfect Christmas card.
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December 20, 2010
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Lorna Seilstad said:
Yes, we could walk, but we had to leave some of the gifts on teh front porch until it was time to open them. LOL. It doesn’t help that my tree is 8 1/2 feet tall.
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December 20, 2010
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Regina Merrick said:
I’m just glad everyone is on the mend at your house!! God is good!!
And the video. That song NEVER fails to give me chills. Something about thinking about Jesus as a baby, just like OUR babies, and thinking about Him like his own parents undoubtedly did. Wow. Thanks, Lorna!!!
Merry, merry Christmas!!
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December 20, 2010
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Kav said:
Wow — I’m grappling with the logisitics of 32 people and 145 gifts and an 8 1/2 foot tree!!!! I wouldn’t want to be on clean up duty! LOL.
Praying that your husband and daughter are on the mend and you get some REST in the next couple of weeks!!!!
I can’t listen to the video clip until this evening when I get home from work but I can’t wait!
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December 20, 2010
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Lorna Seilstad said:
Regina, I completely agree. I often wonder what Mary thought as she raised Him. Did she ever forget what the angel had told her?
Kav, clean up was a breeze. Our family is masterful at that. All the dishes could go in the dishwasher and only the stemware had to be hand washed. Well, it takes a few loads in the dishwasher, but it was still easy.
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December 20, 2010
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Kav said:
Lorna, your idea of easy and mine are totally opposite!
Thanks for the picture updates. Was it both sides of the family — yours and your husbands — or just your side?
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December 20, 2010
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Linda Fulkerson said:
We haven’t had crowds like that for the past couple of years — Hubby’s two daughters now have beautiful new homes and have each “taken over” (whew!) the holiday hosting duties.
Christmas will be different this year with my boy being in USMC boot camp. And since daughter is out of college and has a big girl job now, she only gets a couple of days off instead of the month-plus holiday break she’s enjoyed the past 4 years.
As far as gifts go, I haven’t bought them yet. Daughter & I always shop together, and she won’t be home till late Wednesday night, which means we’ll have a crazy-busy shopping spree on Thursday, lol!
Enjoyed the video card & your family Christmas story.
Merry Christmas to all y’all!
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December 20, 2010
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Lorna said:
Kav, this group is my side of the family. My older brother’s family wasn’t able to be with us, but everyone else was. And I didn’t use china on the kid’s table. They got paper and plastic.
Linda, I’m sure it’s hard with your son away from you. My family also shares hosting duty. There are three of us who switch around. One year you have Thanksgiving, the next you have Christmas, and then you have year off. Next year, I’ll have the year off.
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December 20, 2010
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Dawn Ford said:
Yes, it is a big family. And like you say, it’s only half since it’s only your side in the pics.
I will watch the video some other time. :}
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December 20, 2010
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Kav said:
Okay, home now, snug in my comfiest jammies and hoping to write a spell if I don’t fall asleep but first I had to listlen to the ‘card’. Loved it!!! Can you believe I have never heard this song before?
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December 20, 2010
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Marlene (aka Marlo) said:
Beautiful video!
I cannot imagine that many people in my house, either.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a healthy crew!
Hugs,
Marlene
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December 20, 2010
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Judy Miller said:
Loved seeing the pictures–and that reindeer is a darling idea. Looks like creativity runs in the family.
I’m sure a good time was had by all! Thanks for sharing your early-Christmas fun with us.
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December 20, 2010
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Kaye Dacus said:
This reminds me a lot of Beth Moore’s “Jesus” study. In the workbook, when she gets to the Nativity, she spends quite a bit of that lesson (far too much for confirmed-childless me) imagining what it was like for Mary to experience giving birth to Jesus.
In my extended family, in the odd-numbered years when we all try to get to my grandmother’s house, we can have upwards of 50 people—and most of those are adults (i.e., over the age of about 16-18) with 10+ anklebiters running amok, too. And we LOVE it! So I know you had a wonderful time of chaos and noise and LOVE! Thanks for sharing the pictures!
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December 20, 2010
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Kim said:
That was wonderful!