The Christmas We All Dreaded & Homestead Blog Hop 425

Christmas has passed–how was yours?

I will admit–I was not at all I to Christmas this year. No decorations, no excitement, and up until the last week, no presents. My mind was too divided.

Even my annual photo calendar tradition, or especially this project, just kept getting put off. Then I finally decided to just wait. Wait for what? I’m not sure. Until my mind settles down I guess.

I’ve been very unsettled, between the approaching end for Dad, then good days here and there. Good-ish. Better than the bad days.

We all dreaded Christmas.

We knew Dad would not even know what was happening, let alone enjoy it. And Christmas should be enjoyed. How could we enter into celebration with Dad suffering in the next room? We just could not.

But we gathered anyway.

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Went through the motions of gifts, and I went to Walmart and did all my shopping in one day. Unusual for me, the indecisive one. Practically ruled the day, and required less brainpower than creating something unique.

I say this, and it probably sounds like I’m depressed, and maybe I am in a way, but I feel like it’s more of the unsettled feeling more than the darkness of sadness. I think we all have a touch of sadness–it’s the grieving process–anticipatory grieving. Knowing it’s coming, yet living.

But I will say that we were surprised at Christmas. God gave us a gift. Dad woke up and talked more–he ate with relish, and asked to get up. He’s been too weak for any of that for weeks. Maybe it was Jimmy coming again. Maybe it was just a Christmas blessing.

So, even though it was a difficult process, we got him up with the Hoyer into the wheelchair. We brought him out into the living room and he even received a few gifts.

Dad didn’t know what to do. He didn’t understand the gifts. He did understand that he got pudding–“should I eat it now?”

He understood a hand to hold, and he held on tightly.

That was our best gift.

It didn’t last. Dad got tired and was still mixed up, but he seemed glad he’d joined in. We got him to bed and the day seemed better.

We played a few games, enjoyed family, knowing that nothing is promised beyond today.

God gave us a Christmas blessing.

How about you?

Welcome to the Homestead Blog Hop!

Homestead Blog Hop will take place every Wednesday and is for all things homesteading: real food recipes, farm animals, crafts, DIY, how-to’s, gardening, anything from-scratch, natural home/health, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, natural remedies, essential oils, & more! Basically anything related to homesteading.

Meet Your Hosts!

Follow Their Blogs

Natasha – Houseful of Nicholes (Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Instagram)

Laurie – Ridge Haven Homestead (Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram)

Liz – The Cape Coop (Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Instagram)

Kelly – Simple Life Mom (Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram)

FEATURED POSTS from the Last Homestead Blog Hop

Each week we take turns choosing three posts to feature. Each post will be shared on all social media platforms by all of the hosts! Here are the features from Last Week’s Hop:

1. The 30-Day Faith Detox – Book Review from Create With Joy

2. Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos from Homemade on a Weeknight

3. Creating a Seed Starting Schedule from It’s My Sustainable Life

Congrats! Feel free to grab the featured on button for your post.

Just right click and ‘save image as…‘

Guidelines for this Get-Together:

1. Click on the “Add your Link” Button below and add a great image of your project or recipe. Make sure you link to the page of your family friendly post – not the main page of your blog.
2. Link up to three posts each week.
3. Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by.
4. Link your post back to the Homestead Blog Hop. If the hop isn’t linked to your post then you cannot be featured. All featured posts will be shared on all hosts’ social media channels.
5. Please link up posts that you haven’t linked to the hop before. You are welcome to link old posts from your blog.
6. By joining the party, you are giving the hosts permission to use one photo from your post with a link back to your site if it is selected as one of next week’s Features.
7. This is a family-friendly link up meant to inspire and motivate the homesteader in all of us.

Let the Party Begin!

Join Our Pinterest Board

Follow all your hosts on Pinterest and send me a message that you’d like to be added to our Homestead Blog Hop group board. The only rule is to only add posts that you’ve also added here.