gifts

Grandparents around the world love to look at their grandchildren's photos!

It can be so easy to get all bungled up with the Holiday thing, can't it? We've gotten ourselves pretty well stressed out, anxious and worked up over what is supposed to be a simple, precious holiday. I did more yelling and freaking out over nothing than I can admit last month.

And a week later most of the presents are broken/used up/tired out or haven't even been taken out of the box and enjoyed (hello, ice skates!) All in all, despite my best efforts, Christmas is just way too much drama.

And, of course, the best Christmas present of the year arrived on an ordinary Monday morning... An email with 10 beautiful pictures of our Ethiopian family. In the email were the precious, prayed for words, "They are all well and healthy." In the photos were many smiling faces, each echoing our children's faces... there is Daniel's smile, there is Lily's nose and oh, look how tall your brother got!

In the batch of photos were two new faces to us- grandparents! God bless anyone who lives to be a grandfather in Ethiopia! It is truly a feat. God willing, these beautiful people will still be around when we next travel to visit Africa.  

The best Christmas present we ever got was also delivered on an ordinary afternoon- the phone call telling us that we would be parents to Daniel and Lily: in one simple, incredible, life-changing voicemail I got after a visit to the dentist in December, 2010.

Well, I guess it makes sense, doesn't it... The story goes of a magical, miraculous baby born in a stable in a tiny town 2,000 years ago... The best presents arrive with out fanfare, without glitter or Elves or big bows.

After all, the singing angels and shining star only arrived afterwards...

Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated this year on January 7th.
Melkam Genna, መልካም  ገንና  * everyone.


* How cool is it that I can type in Amharic! (Google, you are amazing.)