So here's the short of it, 
This has been a very different Christmas.

And here's the long.

This is a very different Christmas night.

Mom is gone to spend time with Elizabeth and Greg.  I got this picture of her with Avery and when I've spoken to her she's sounding very happy to be with them. Betsy sent the picture of Mom with Avery yesterday! Steve and Pat are in Destin having Christmas with only Patrick as this is the year the girls are with their in-laws.  So we didn't do our rather "normal" Christmas tradition of heading off to Atlanta for the day to celebrate with family there.  So it was quite different for us here in Chattanooga.

We started the morning off with brunch for just the two of us, and we ended the evening with the kids coming over for a Christmas/Hannukah celebration.  We had Latkes with all the fixin's and Cheese Blintzes with some of the preserved cherries from the fall canning - we lit the candles and exchanged gifts.  What a lovely evening.

The kitchen is clean and the leftovers are packaged up so that they'll be easy to get to tomorrow. And now the kids are gone; Alan's gone to bed; and I'm winding down my own day as well.

My Facebook and professional friend posted this on his wall today.
"The Word Became Flesh... and Moved Into the hood."
One of his friends that I don't know posted this in reply -
"I like the version that says, God put on skin and moved into the neighborhood."

So this is Christmas.
May it all be well with us, those we love, and those we have a hard time understanding.
And may we all occupy the hood with as much love as we can muster.