December 27 – “A Cousins’ Christmas Sleepover”

Our house right now is a massive, messy, marvelous mixture of Legos and GI Joes and pizza crusts and sleeping bags and candy cane wrappers and pillows and donuts and clothes and Christmas bags and, well … children.  That can mean only one thing.  Actually it could mean numerous things.  Perhaps another hurricane hit.  Maybe Chris got too sick to clean house (Well, you wouldn’t expect me to clean it, would you?).  Maybe we are getting ready to have a huge garage sale.  Or maybe … Yep.  Last night was the big cousins’ sleepover at Nani and DadDad’s house.  And they were all here.  And all except Noa actually spent the night here.  Jachin and Micah and Zakary and Caleb and Josiah and Luke.  And that one pink sleeping bag must belong to Cailyn. 

Kel and Christina and Josh and Christi were here most of the evening as well.  I left at one point to go pick up Uncle Jerry.  He was released from the hospital after quite a scare left him spending Christmas Day with the UTMB staff.  Turned out the only thing they found for sure was that he was dehydrated.  On the way home he asked if he could come by and see the kids, so he joined us for some pizza.  He seemed to relish the chaos, but I finally got him home and settled in there. 

By the time I got back home, the family room floor was covered with sleeping bags and grandchildren.  The first movie was playing.  It was one of Chris’ Christmas presents – Monsters University.  Following shortly thereafter, Cailyn picked out Polar Express.  Nani declared that it would be the perfect way to end the last cousins’ sleepover of the year.  That led to a brief period of nostalgia for the oldest, Jachin.  He was quite sad.  Why?  Because he suddenly realized that it would be 363 more days before he would get more presents.  But he got over it amidst the homemade trail mix of popcorn and M&M’s and goldfish (the cracker kind, not the seafood).  Cailyn was the first to give in and fall asleep, prompting a few “cousinly-love” comments about her snoring.  Surprisingly, Josiah was one of the last to go.  He was determined to “be like the big guys.” 

The “next morning” part of this family ritual involved the first one awake going with me to get donuts.  And once again the winner was Micah.  When we returned from the donut shop, he asked me to set the donuts down on the front porch.  Intrigued, of course I complied.  He calmly picked up the bag, flew open the front door, and announced, “Look, Nana.  I found something on the front porch.  The Donut Man left some donuts.”  Ah, yes.  We must maintain the secrecy element of the mysterious “Donut Man.” The rest of the morning consisted of a rousing round of “Luke Watching” (the newest fun game that is more exciting that watching TV, because you never know what he is going to do.  The only game comparable according to Micah is “Noa Watching” for pretty much the same reasons), running away from the giant Dad monster (Josh), and howling like a band of runaway wolves.  The frivolity continued until the Moms and Nani’s insisted that teeth needed to be brushed and pajamas needed to be stored away and clothes had to be changed and shoes had to be located and sleeping bags must be rolled up and … well, you get the idea.  Never a dull moment in the Vaughan Family.  Nope.  Not here.

Psalms 115:14-15 says, “May the Lord make you increase, both you and your children.  May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Father, thank you for the way you have blessed me and my sons.  Now, please, keep the blessings coming for their sons and daughters as well.  Amen.