So, it has been a while since I lasted posted. Thanksgiving has come and gone. We are now in the season of Advent.....preparing for the birth of Christ. But first...let's recap Thanksgiving.
We were so fortunate to have Bruce, Kitty, and Stuart come to visit for a week. As we prepared for their visit, there was the unexpected that kept us from being "perfectly" ready. Tuesday morning, the day of the big arrival, we woke up to an email that our friend Brian (a GTS grad) was flying in and going to be on campus. We could not have been more excited....but wait, there were groceries to buy! Oh well, the groceries would be put on hold. We were able to visit with Brian (which I must say was awesome!!!!). He had just returned from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. We were able to hear his stories and see his unbelievable pictures. Plus, we got to laugh a good laugh with a wonderfully crazy friend.

For the next week, the Jones family DID New York City. We walked to Time Square which is a stimulus overload at night, used the Charmin bathrooms (the kid's new favorite), spent the day in Central Park where we saw street performers, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge on one of the coldest days ever, saw Ground Zero and St. Paul's Chapel, worshipped at St. John the Divine, admired Trinity Wall Street, shopped on Canal Street, walked through Little Italy, woke up early to shop on Black Friday, walked down 5th Avenue to Rockefeller Plaza, and went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade where we saw Santa on his sleigh. With doing all of this, there was still time to be a family even with sore feet and leg aches. It was truly wonderful to have all seven of us living together in 800 square feet for a week.....I know, enough to make any stomach turn. But it was wonderful... just being with family made the space seem so large and comfortable.
Thanksgiving Day begin very relaxed. The Holcomb's came for breakfast. After the parade, Kitty, Brad, and I attended Eucharist in the Chapel. When the service ended, we walked out to the most amazing day. The sky was that clear blue with a breeze that was blowing vibrant yellow leaves off of the trees. Everyone just stopped and admired the site. Truly, we were stunned by the beauty of the day. It was just one of those moments that stop you in your tracks. We ate Thanksgiving dinner with the GTS community. It was a pot luck dinner where everyone brought a dish. About fifty of us gathered for the meal beside a fire that was provided via the Internet on the screen in the lecture hall!!
Sunday brought Advent...the beginning of the Christian calendar. We went to St. John the Divine for church. Going to church there is always an amazing experience. This Sunday proved no different. That afternoon, we gathered once again with the GTS community to make advent wreaths. Kitty and the kids made a terrific wreath out of live greens that decorates our table. After making this, Kitty and Bruce were able to see Addison and Parker acolyte during the family service on campus. At this service, you can always expect the unexpected....even "marching" around the alter while singing. We learned about the Advent wreath and what each candle means. We learned about the season of Advent. We celebrated Eucharist. Between the two services, Advent was now in full swing.
As everything has an end, so did this visit. We all walked to the corner of 9th and 20th and hailed a cab. After loading the luggage and saying goodbye, we stood on the corner waving as the cab pulled away. As we watched it go down 9th Avenue, Addison burst into tears. It did feel empty watching the cab drive away. It was almost like a part of us was in that cab leaving....but it was a part of us. It was our family. Thank goodness Christmas is right around the corner and we will see our family then!!!!