Four Day Christmas Weekend

Wednesday I left work around 3:30. I was the last of the 15 employees on my side of the office to leave. There were a few transactional salespeople still taking calls.

Ceil and Will were out shopping, then we went to the 8 pm NP service. We arrived at seven, just as the 6 pm service was letting out. By the time we walked into the auditorium at 7:10, almost all the seats in the front sections were saved. A woman sitting behind us bumped me several times before the service, then loudly sang along while a soloist sang “O Holy Night.” Perhaps she was confused, since most of the songs were sing-a-longs. The Hurts sat with us, then we hung around almost an hour, talking to them and others. We saw Andrew’s mother and Jeff, and their cousins the Hargraves…who go to school with us and the Hurts.

Since the Hurts hadn’t eaten, we all went to Chilis. The Boise State was playing on the TVs.

Thursday I had made eye-doctors appointments for everyone. Will went ice skating that afternoon. That night Anna and I worked on Christmas cards. I still have a few to send out.

Friday Ceil went shopping, then I went out. I hated all the traffic. One of my favorite stores had everything half off, so I bought everyone shirts. Found a Cal T-shirt for me, as well as a nice Chicago Black Hawks practice sweater. Wednesday I had found a nice black Italian leather jacket.

Returned just in time to leave for the Passion Christmas service, outside at the Verizon Amphitheater. Even though the day had been sunny and relatively warm, it was a chilly two hours. Big crowd, filling the front section and most of the back seats as well. Like the respective Sunday services, the differences between the NP and Passion Christmas services were as expected. Both were tremendous, but in different ways. NP’s was focused, while Passion’s meandered. Louie extended an altar call for those wanting to accept Christ, then for everyone who’s accepted Christ in 2010. Those who came then lit the candles at the end of all the rows, and the service ended with all the candles it.

Afterwards we dropped Will at a Gilbert gathering. The rest of us watched The Karate Kid, and wrapped presents until after midnight. We all went outside to greet the Gilberts when they brought Will home. As I talked to Dr. Tom Will showed MC his tooth marks on the basketball pole, from many years ago.

Saturday morning we had breakfast and opened presents, then drove down to Macon for lunch. The whole crowd was there, a total of fifteen. Just before we arrived I noticed a tweet from Andy Stanley, but I didn’t read it because I was driving, and wasn’t wearing my glasses. After lunch I checked Facebook on my phone, and discovered several snow pictures. Later I read Andy’s tweet…that the snow had started before noon. The drive back to Atlanta was fine. We arrived just after dark.

To stay warm Friday night, Matthew finally wore the sweet Nike high-tops I’d gotten him a few months ago. Grey suede with orange strings and swoosh. He wore them down to Macon as well.

Sunday Ceil and the kids packed up at headed to SC via I-20. They ran into one heavy snowstorm before Augusta. Monday morning I saw where Anna had stayed up most all night with her cousins. Since it was so cold I didn’t do much, just laundry. Only went out to return the Toy Story 3 DVD we’d rented at Kroger. I’d been looking forward to watching the Eagles, but it was postponed. Instead I watched a show about bacon.