The Day After Christmas at the Sizemore's

What a Wonderful Day. . .Good Food with Good Friends and Family

Bind Us Together in Love.

Vicki and Cecil have a lovely, warm, welcoming home.

It could be in Better Homes and Gardens, she has such a knack for displaying all

her "treasures". 

We have been so blessed to be included through the years.

I am thankful they are a part of my "family". . .

as Tom says, "He and Cecil are Grand-paws-in-law."

May God continue to bless them for blessing others.

Becky, Shaelyne, Rusty, Vicki, Bro. Tom's sister, Brooklyn, Sis. Johnson, Nelda

I think after all is said and done. . .

the best Christmas present is getting to be with those you love and who love you.

Doug, my baby brother, was talking to Jed, Jon's son telling him about what was most exciting

to him as a kid about Christmas.  It was fun getting gifts from Mom and Dad, Denny, Janet and I. . .but his favorite thing about Christmas. . .what made him the most excited. . .what he really looked forward to was when we would arrive at home from Texas. 

Sometimes we would bring others with us from the church, so the family

had lots of extended family they loved too.

Doug loved that feeling of being surrounded by family. . .just listening to stories. . .or going sledding . . .maybe playing board games. . .just being together, period. 

When it was time for us to leave Doug remembered feeling so sad, sometimes crying hidden away somewhere so no one would see.  He would often sneak off with Sarah and Stan trying to hide them so we'd have to hunt for them before we could leave. . .keeping us a few more minutes.

He remembers Mother crying after we left, never when we could see her because she didn't want us to feel sad. . .but he knew she felt the same way he did.

I didn't know she had cried when we left until he told me. . .I should have known but I didn't.

I think that really is the true essence of Christmas. . .a time to celebrate Christ's birth by reaffirming how much you love one another. Sometimes you don't have the money for presents, but you are willing to give of your time. . .you are willing to listen to kids sing. . .or a story you've heard a thousand times before because you love the person telling it.  

You don't just listen, you focus, you lean forward in your chair and encourage sharing.

Doug remembers some of the neat toys, etc. . .

but said they pale in comparison to that great gift of the heart - LOVE - that

was the most valued of all.

"Greater love hath no man than this. . .that he would lay down his life for a friend."
That Jesus would actually do something He didn't want to do. . .
 actually spend time dying on a cross. . .
to totally focus on what others needed . . . 

We don't have to wait for a holiday to give up something "we want to do" in order to 

help out a friend or family in their time of need.