What a great Christmas...

Every once in a while, there comes a time when you know something really great has happened.  You usually don't fully recognize it when it is taking place, although you have a pretty good idea.  Time has to settle the dust and you need to sit quietly back and take it all in, playing it all over again. And then you get it.  It's a little bit like the whole of life -- you remember and relish the good parts, but tend to dismiss the bad ones or the ones that were just ordinary.  So now I've had that time and here goes.

We had a wonderful visit from our son and daughter-in-law and our two grandsons over Christmas.  It was such a good thing to see them all again -- the boys are growing and taking on such interesting personalities.  Quinn talks about things of which I haven't a clue, and Heath talks about things of which no one has a clue (but then he's not a year old yet).

Quinn really wants to teach me about all the levels of "Angry Birds" and "Star Wars" characters and stories.  He is really into that stuff so he was absolutely amazed when we got out his dad's collection of Star Wars characters from the old days.  Kinda like when we "discover" some old movie or piece of music that we think some new artist did only to find out that whatever it is was originally around in our parents' days.  

Heath wanted (I think) to teach me of the subtleties of making music with two aluminum pie pans and a stick.

 Quinn, Danika and I made cookies for Santa.  Quinn wrote a note to Santa and we all went outside as he, Danika and Grandma put out the food for the reindeer.

In spite of all the running around, cooking, fixing and such, Grandma got in some good "hug time" with her grandsons which is what usually makes it a successful time for her.

We were also able to introduce the boys to the rest of the family, although some had already met Quinn.  We went to Chuck and Mary's where there were 11 kids all under the age of 8 (there were only 12 adults!!).  We also got to spend time at my brother and his wife's house and visit with my side of the family.

And so, the dust has settled, football games have retaken their place in prime time on the tube, and all the travelers have returned to their homes.  But we have the pictures in our minds (and on the hard drive) and the memories in our hearts, memories enough to last us for a few months anyhow.

Oh, one other thing.  We really wanted to have snow for Christmas.  For almost a week before Christmas, it had been snowing off and on and the ground was covered --- up until about three days before and then it rained like crazy.  There was flooding everywhere.  We were fortunate and had a whole new reason to be thankful (see article below on the rains).  We also wanted the pond to be frozen so Quinn could ice skate or at least ice slide.  That didn't happen either.  But as I said, we had a new perspective for which to be thankful and four excellent reasons, among others, to help us in our celebration.  They give us a little something to keep in our memories until the next time -- a little something to help color our outlook on the world and keep a smile in our hearts.

So as it is said many a time over the Christmas holidays, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."

Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'. (Bing Crosby)

Hooah