Merry Christmas!

I hope this Christmas Eve finds everyone happy and basking in the love your families. This has been an unusually quiet Christmas Eve morning. Usually I am busy preparing a big meal to enjoy with family and friends after the Christmas Eve Service. But this year we are celebrating with just our family and we've simplified the food. John and Kyle have gone to pick up our favorite Shrimp Gumbo and I've got a Prime Rib ready to go in the oven, which we will eat after church as hot sandwiches with plenty of horseradish. We are going to Lauren and Wade's Church at 5:00, Houston First Baptist, and since they don't have a nursery tonight Harper will be attending as well. That should be interesting and but it is all contingent on whether or not we can find a parking spot! We are going early so it shouldn't be a problem.

I've enjoyed receiving Christmas cards from so many of you and want you to know that you weren't dropped from my list this year, I simply didn't send any. We tried to get everyone together for a picture but it just didn't happen. We will post some tomorrow.

Kyle has been home since last Saturday. He competed in a fishing tournament after school was out and was happy to finish 3rd of 53. He even won money! He is leaving after New Years for a ski trip with friends. I guess there's no need for me to fill you in on Lauren, Wade and Harper. Lauren is a far better communicator than I and she even has photos to include! John is working as hard as ever at his business - still getting up at 4:30 to beat the traffic. He works out 3 nights a week at the gym and I'm usually stuffing something in my mouth as I wave goodbye. I plan to get back into some kind of a routine after Christmas. My days are full babysitting Harper 3 days a week and working 2 but it suits me very well.

We are eagerly anticipating our first Christmas with Harper and they will be spending the night here tonight. The nursery comes in particularly handy at times like this. Tomorrow we will fry a turkey, the favorite meal of Lauren and Kyle. We feel very blessed to be together this year and hope that all of you have the best Christmas ever as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Love,

Ruth