By Staff
Well I ran around, shopped and wrapped. All that's left is the fun, oh and still some cleaning.
I really enjoy when my kids come together to celebrate an occasion. They are so much fun and hearing their version of the past brings back so many memories.
I let them decide between two favorites, chicken and dumplings or tacos. They picked the later, maybe because one year I accidentally burnt the dumplings.
My son Clay, called this week. Though he won't be making the trip in, I hope to see him at a family party in early January.
I will miss not seeing my granddaughter, Ellie, open her gifts with the excitement only a two-year-old can have. I also understand how different it is to travel over the holidays and how important it is to have your own Christmas in your own home.
Clay said he was told by his uncle, “Some day you will wake up and you will be married with kids and wonder when it all happened.”
Now, he said, it has happened and he wonders where the time went. He still feels young but his body aches after a day of hard work.
Shane will be bringing his new wife, Jessica, then hop off to Scotland for work the day after Christmas.
My eldest son, Matthew, always bragged about his better than 20/20 eyesight. Guess who needs glasses. On his wish list was season Cub tickets, anyone out there who can help me out?
I can't wait until they will all be home with me joking and sharing memories of their youth.
I just wished I had listened to all those knowing people who told me when I was a young mother, “write down the cute things they say, because you will never remember.”
Though I do recall some, many have been suppressed in the depths of my brain, which I hope will someday be transferred to my soul to relive.
Though some would say bah humbug to Christmas, I love all the Santa images and snowmen, the tinsel and lights. A string of red bells blink on my landing, a gift from my mother which was used at my house when I was growing up.
She also gave me tiny ceramic bells to hang on the tree. We would put our tree out at the road in January and always have to shake it to make sure we hadn't forgotten one of the dainty bells.
This year, I plan on passing down my ceramic nativity set to my daughter, Michelle. The statues were hand painted in a light blue tone.
She always got so much pleasure in setting up each figure of Jesus and Mary, every lamb and shepherd around the barn.
The baby Jesus would be hidden until Christmas night, when she would place him in the manger, with his mother Mary looking down and Joseph nearby standing guard.
We always kept the set up until the Epiphany, Jan. 6, when the three wise men finally presented their gifts to Jesus. Merry Christmas everyone.