Bill W

Yes, but where would they put the presents? The other thing is that the tree wouldn't stop growing and would so be larger than they could decorate safely. I know, because I remember the blue spruce my grandfather planted that was only a few inches tall, and it didn't seem to take very long before it was nearly ten feet tall.

The meeting with the new minister didn't go as planned, although how we suspected, and now it's going to impact the Currie's old church, as well as the family. It's a shame they couldn't have reached some kind of agreement. Yes, Christmas is coming and the family has to rush to get ready for it, since they were sidetracked by other issues when they would have normally done this. As for TJ, I believe all young children are fascinated by Christmas lights, especially if they're blinking, and he's obviously no exception. This should be an interesting holiday with TJ and Xander celebrating it as part of the Currie family for the first time.

Thanks, Danilo. Yes, I think we all knew how Rev. Belec was going to react, including Rev. Kirk. That's why he was prepared to give Josh a recommendation for a new church. I'm glad you enjoyed this.

When we got to the diner, all of the family members that had attended the church service were there, including those who didn’t normally join us for brunch. They came because they had questions for me about the meeting I was going to have with Rev. Belec a little later, and as soon as we’d ordered, they began to question me about it. “Dad, what’s going on with you and this new minister?” Dustin wanted to know. “I just requested a meeting with him so I could find out about his views on

Yes, each kid has his own problem and hang-ups, so we'll have to wait and see how these boys deal with those situtations.

Jrm, if you remember earlier in this book, Joshie and Bennie told Danny and Brandon that they'd heard Tristan and Revin having oral sex in their bedroom... I guess they were slurping kind of loud. We haven't brought it up since, but I doubt that they've stopped. However, I don't think the twins are sexually active yet.

It will be happening soon, you don't have to worry about that.

Thanks for the feedback, Tony. As you mentioned, there's never a dull moment in the Currie household with birthdays, holidays, and other unexpected problems. They've already helped out Tamara with the problem she was having, got through the issue with Xander being bullied, and have dealt with and still dealing with TJ's issues, but then along comes the new minister. At first glance he appears to be homophobic, so will they be able to find a happy medium where both sides can walk away with some dignity, or is the problem irreparable? We shall see. I agree that everyone must stay safe, distance, and wear masks. This looks as if it will be a long, hard winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and a trying summer in the Southern Hemisphere, although they'll have a better chance of staying outdoors while doing those things. Even though winters in Georgia are shorter and not as snowy as when I lived up north, the cold still gets to me just as badly, now that I'm older. All of you please take care.

On Friday, those who weren’t headed back home already met up at the house and participated in the Annual Currie Family Touch Football Game. Dad and Pop chose to referee the game instead of playing, and I kept score, but it was a fun endeavor for everyone who participated. The younger boys didn’t take part in the football game and chose a team to root for instead. Once the game ended, Joshie, Benny, Ryan, Noah, Holly, Elliot, and Ian all agreed to join the younger group in a kickball game. T

Yes, we will soon be catching up with the COVID pandemic and the family will deal with it in their own, unique way. I hope you bear with them through those times. Did you suggest this series to your friend? I'm sorry he was upset by those deaths, as were many others at the time, but death is a part of life. You're correct when you say that they may be physically gone but they're still watching over the family, as has become evident many times. Thank you for your continued support.

Family is what this series is all about, no matter how the various individuals became part of this family.

The mention of Cody and Brent often does that to people. It's an unfortunate side-effect of reading this series. Josh's biological children aren't at the house for Thanksgiving this year, so it must mean they're all coming for Christmas this year. That should be interesting.

Thanks for the feedback, Tony. Thanksgiving has always been an important time for the Curries, since half of those living away from home return for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Yes, I'm sure Graham's ability to interact with the dead offers the family some comfort, although I think it takes a toll on Graham. I'm not sure I'd be able to deal with seeing the dead like he does. A Happy Thanksgiving to you, as well as to all my readers and all members of GA.

Thanks, Jrm. As I told James, writing those took a toll on me as well, but I'm glad I touched a few of you along the way. The Curries have been blessed, and Andrew's accident that got Jesse to speak, and Shannon and Nick's accident, they were lucky those turned out as well as they did. You're welcome, and I'm glad that you, and others, have enjoyed my humble efforts.

Yes, James, the loss of Cody and Brent were devastating, and it was as difficult for me to write those events as it was for you to ready them. Like you, I also felt as if I was losing a son. I'm glad you still love this story, even through the rough times.

As I mentioned previously, the teachers in all three buildings were scheduled to meet with the parents of their students during the three days before Thanksgiving break. We also offered evening sessions on Monday and Tuesday, for those parents who couldn’t come in during the day. At the high school, we set the conferences up in fifteen-minute increments, and even though this doesn’t sound like much time, we had to do it this way because of the total number of students we worked with on a daily

Thank you for the feedback. You'll be seeing a lot more of Qaim as well.

Thanks, Danilo. You will see Daimon again.

Thanks, just one battle on a lengthy trail.

It's about time... lol

Thanks for the feedback, Jim, and you've brought up a lot of good points. As for as the Curries denomination, I've always left it that it was merely a Protestant church and didn't go into more detail. Yes, although their problems will have a different origin, both TJ and Cole will have dealt with learning problems and growth problems, although Cole's growth problems weren't as severe as Graham's. I will explore your suggestions about including a boy with a different faith that wants to maintain it, as well as another boy who'd been rejected due to his sexual orientation, but only if I decide to write another book. This one will take us up to present time, so it would be difficult to continue without having to wait a while, since each book has been convering about a year or more. Thanks for your continued support.

Yes, there are potentially many different scenarios as to why the new minister left his old church, and eventually we'll learn what that is and what impact it might have on the Currie family. I hope you approve of how this plays out.

Thanks, Danilo, and this will be an ongoing mystery for a few chapters yet to come, so hang in there. As you know, the church has always been important to Josh, so this situation is huge for him and the family, especially since so many of the gay couples were married in that church. I hope you find the scenario and how it turns out to be interesting.

My experience would lead me to agree that your assumptions about how ministers move from parish to parish are correct, and your answers about this will be answered over the next few chapters, along with the reasons for why this has happened. I hope you find the narrative believable.

I'm glad I could give your day a boost. It's also a smart move to wait before making too many predictions about what may happen next.