Back story: It was birthday weekend for my little grand-girls, Emerson and Carlisle, who turned four and two, respectively. My daughter and her husband were in from Houston with our grand-boys, Grant and Connor, three and a half and one, respectively.  

Christmas came early to prevent my daughter and her husband, from traveling three weekends out of the month of December.

Was it the same? Absolutely not. Was it good? No, it was great!

Some traditions had to bite the dust and others were reinvented. I did get to hold onto my gingerbread house moment. Over the years we’ve made a host of different gingerbread creations. We’ve had everything from a dollhouse to a Who Dat Superdome Stadium to a cajun shack, complete with lake, gator, and pirogue. Alas, I wish I could find those pictures for y’all but at least I have one from this past weekend. Here are three of the four grands with our Gingerbread Nativity.

When it came time to exchange gifts, Phil and I ended up watching the two young families open theirs from each other. We reserved our presents to them (with a few exceptions) until later in the month when we’ll go to each of their homes and celebrate with the individual families. I decided it was quite wonderful. We got to enjoy seeing what the kids and grand kids were opening from each other with a lower level of “lovely chaos.”

All things considered, I find that I am deeply indebted to this new season of our lives. It’s requiring me to learn all over again how important it is to concentrate on the people around me instead of some ridiculous standard of the “perfect” holiday. Several times during the weekend, we took time as a family to hold hands and pray together, in thanksgiving and in petition for a concern weighing on us all. It was wonderful and it was Christmas as Emmanuel, God with Us, reigned.


Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is an author, speaker, and radio host from Louisiana. You’re invited to celebrate All Things Southern and participate in some lovely chaos at her place, allthingssouthern.com
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