"All which we behold is full of blessings"

Wordsworth poem describe Christmas morning best. Everywhere we looked were blessings overflowing. The kids have learned to savor the moment and unwrap slowly their three gifts under the tree (like the Savior received 3 gifts from the wise men)

Trevor finally got his trench coat to wear over his suit. Check out the smile....

and the dapper young men sporting a new tie from the Whitings

While I love a well dressed man, I also adore the little kid that also comes out with the new toys. Spidey on PS3 from Uncle Pete was a hit.

Brendan took his time as well --only because he couldn't figure out how to get the knots undone...

but he succeeded-- and for Bond he would unravel a pile of bothersome knots

Brendan has grown so much his ankles and wrists have been showing so, of course, he also got a new coat.

Natalie was in music heaven with her four new disks. (The boys were dying when they had to endure Rhianna, Taylor Swift, Hillary Duff & the Twilight soundtrack)

Baby Moore put on a brave face when she thought she didn't get the new coat she wanted (you'd think I have no creativity getting them all the same things --but they all wanted new black trench coats)

But Jennifer came through and saved the day and mailed me the coat priority mail (the company wouldn't send it here to an FPO. Miraculously, despite the anthrax scare we had at the post office, the coat arrived on Christmas Eve!) It was warm in the house but they sported their new garb proudly.

Steve's twin Pete, visiting from LA, enlivened the festivities

and played Santa's helper

he had everyone laughing

especially with his gangster poses and his ChinFi sweatshirt (the China stitching on the back had the A looking like an FI. We joked and wondered since everything is made in China, if you actually buy something in China, that is made there, does it just say "Made Here"?)

Pete's friend Ray, an producer in Hollywood, also cracked us up...

can see why even with this blurry Home Alone pose

I made cinnamon rolls and danishes for breakfast and with all that sugar and the candy from the stockings everyone gorged themselves on, I often wonder the sanity of preparing a huge Christmas meal but tradition holds, and I spent 5 hours in the kitchen cooking.

They made a pretty good dent in the honey spiral ham and Eiffel tower of rolls and colossal pile of potatoes & pies--- despite not being ravished.

GiGi from Steve's office, a fun petite Italian gal from Naples, also came over and we had a pleasant afternoon playing games and talking. And at the end of the day, as I looked over the teetering stack of dirty plates and glasses

and bags of shredded wrap and discarded ribbon, but also the Christmas cards from friends and family tacked to the walls and the content expressions of all around me --I felt bouyant. I gathered in the moment and held it to me & understood what Luke was trying to express about Mary's feelings when she looked upon her new child and all the shepherds about and the mess of the stable and yet marveled:

"And Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." Pondering at the end of the day brought enlightment to my heart and all I beheld was blessings....