Faith Family Friends

Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Thursday 31 December 2020

Christmas 2020 Has Come and Gone

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie


Hello dear friends! I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas. We certainly did!
We had a wonderful time at my son's girlfriend's house on Christmas Day. We had a turkey dinner and then we exchanged gifts afterwards. Later we had a video call with our boys. 

I started sending my only granddaughter a Christmas ornament every year since she was born. She is now ten years old, and she loves the ornament I sent her this year! The little red truck was also a gift to me from my hubby this year, so we each have one.
My son and his girlfriend gave me this heart for Christmas. It has the family tree etched on it with all my grandchildren's names. I love it!


On Boxing Day, we did another video call with all the family. That evening our oldest grandson dropped in for supper and a long visit. It was a wonderful Christmas after a long and oftentimes lonely year!
Today, I have set the tea table with my Spode Christmas Tree teapot and some festive teacups. The boot had been part of a floral arrangement for my mother a few years ago which I made an arrangement in. Homemade cherry topped mini cheese cakes will be our tea treat today. They are just enough to enjoy with a cuppa. 

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
For loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
Like the bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do to others is good you do yourself. ~ Norman Wesley Brooks

This year is winding down, and like pretty much everyone, we will be happy to say goodbye to the year 2020. I don't believe it has been kind to very many of us.

It has been a year filled with highs and lows; mostly lows. Our family suffered through several disappointments, but losing my brother was a monumental loss for me.

My only brother, who was younger than me, passed away in March, right after the Covid hit, so that was extremely distressing. I cannot express the level of despair it has caused me.

Our whole family was supposed to come home for a visit in the Summer, the first time in two years, and that had to be canceled. 

Our youngest grandson who lived here on the Island, moved up to Ontario to play football and go to school. That was difficult. He is only fifteen years old and he is not happy up there, so that makes it even worse. We miss him terribly.

Our middle son and his son got Covid in November, but they have recovered. At the same time, my hubby had his stroke. Hubby is better now but he gave us all such a fright! With proper meds and diet, he should be fine.

Three days before Christmas, our oldest son had surgery to hopefully restore some hearing in his ear. He has been in a lot of pain ever since, and we won't know how the surgery turned out until his ear heals. 

So, it has been a really rough year in our household.
 
The blessings however, are numerous, and outweigh the woes. We are grateful for our loving family and answers to prayer. 
One of those answered prayers is, our middle son and his family will be moving from the west coast to the east coast; closer to home! Twenty years of praying for this to happen, and it is finally going to come true. Sometimes, I still feel like I have to pinch myself. We have a very excited family right now!

I know many of you have suffered much worse this past year and some of you sailed through 2020 fairly well. But the New Year is upon us and I, for one, am looking forward to a fresh start. 

Regardless of how things appear sometimes, we must remember that God is still in control of what happens. We must always put our trust in Him, not man!

Thank you for stopping by my blog, and I want to thank each of you who joined my No Place Like Home party the last number of weeks. It gave me something lovely to focus on when life came crashing down on me late in the year. So, thank you to everyone who joined and all of you who left comments.


I will end my post with a wish for a Happy and Healthy New Year. I pray the next twelve months will bring us all good health, love, joy, peace, and contentment. In the words of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!"

See you next year!


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

15 comments :

  1. Hi Sandi,

    Glad to hear that you had a wonderful Christmas. The heart/family tree ornament that you received is beautiful and so meaningful. I also have the tradition of gifting my godson a new ornament every year.

    As always, your tea setting is lovely. I have the same Spode teapot!

    I've always admired your resiliency and faithfulness. I'm so grateful for your visits and thoughtful comments throughout 2020.

    2020 seems to be the looooooongest year ever, but here we are just hours away from a new year. Bring on 2021!

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  2. Your tea setting is absolutely gorgeous. Even my hubby stopped to admire it. I think that beautiful etched glass heart is an real treasure.It will bring joy every Christmas from now on. Have a safe and healthy 2021

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  3. Dear Sandi, May you have a much better year in 2021. You have had a rough 2020. God bless you and comfort you. If nothing else, 2020 has helped me to take one day at a time. What ever I do get done, I am more thankful.
    d

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  4. The etched heart is truly a lovely keepsake, Sandi. How nice to have Christmas at your son’s girlfriend’s house, too. You did have a year of loss with your only brother passing away. However, it’s nice that your prayers of twenty years are finally being answered. We pray and pray, but it is in God’s timing, although we wish it was in ours!! I’m still praying for Jeff and that he’ll have a a positive outcome. Happy New Year, Sandi! Before I leave, I’d love one of your cherry cheesecakes. 😘

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  5. Hello Sandi,
    I'm so glad you had a wonderful Christmas. You have some good things to look forward to in 2021 as well, with your family moving closer. How lovely the etched heart ornament is. I hope that you will continue to find strength to meet each day's challenges. God is so faithful.
    Yes, I'd love a cup of tea and a little cheesecake!

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  6. Sandi ~ Blessings of peace and rest, comfort and joy after a very difficult year for you and those you love.

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  7. I can only imagine how difficult it is to lose a younger sibling or any sibling as a matter of fact. I see that 2020 was especially difficult for you and your family. It's so wonderful that God has given us the Holy Spirit to comfort us and to teach us how to endure our trials on this earth. I was wondering about your son's surgery and sorry to hear of all the pain he has in the healing process. Continued prayers for good results. Happy New Year to you and yours!

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  8. I am so sorry to hear about your husband Sandy and will keep him in prayer. I am glad to hear the good news about your son and grandson. May the presence of the Lord be very near to you during this time of loss with your brother!

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  9. Sandi,
    O MY!! You have a had a year....So glad that your hubby has recovered and your son will be moving closer to you...The heart ornament is lovely!!
    And your tea set is gorgeous!!! Wishing you and your family a very happy New Year!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

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  10. Wonderful post,dear Sandi...As ever...Thank you for sharing courage,faith,beauty and hope.God bless you and yours!Sending prayers.Best wishes,Maristella.

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  11. Happy New Year, Sandi, and here's to a better year in 2021!

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  12. Feliz y Próspero Año Nuevo.
    Preciosas y conmovedoras entradas que leo de Madrid, España.
    Salud y Amor para este año que acaba de comenzar.
    Besos

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  13. Wishing you a Happy New Year 2021.
    Those cheesecakes look so delicious. The etched heart is a beautiful gift and the little red truck is so cute for your Granddaughter.
    I'm happy to hear your son is moving closer to you and your husband is doing better.
    I pray that your oldest son's ear will heal and his hearing restored.
    You sure have been through a lot in the past year.
    Wishing you and your family a Blessed New Year with good health, joy and happiness.
    xo

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  14. May this year be filled with many blessings and good health for you and yours. Love, hugs and prayer ~ FlowerLady

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  15. I believe that we are all glad to see 2020 disappear into the background and look forward to new horizons of much better days ahead in 2021. I know you are happy that your son and his family are moving closer to home. That will be such a blessing for all of you. I love that family tree ornament...what a thoughtful gift! Beautiful! I do hope your son who had the ear surgery will soon recover his hearing. Praying the pain will cease as well. I am also sorry your grandson is not happy at the school he is attending, and to be so far from home too. Wow...I guess I'd be tempted to go get him and bring him home...but I know God knows best, and He will direct his steps and those of his family for whatever is for the best. Praying for your health and for happier brighter days ahead. Thank you for hosting the No Place Like Home parties. They were fun and I did make some new friends there. That's what parties are for, right? Thank you! God bless you!

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I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY!

Also, due to the amount of spam I've been getting, I have had to set Comment Moderation. ~ Sandi

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