The build-up to Christmas was really exciting for us. Not just because of presents and the anticipation the kids have of seeing them under the tree in the morning, but because of the family time that we get for a few days straight without interruption. No school, no sports practice, no work for Jon and myself, no having to run kids around anywhere. Just time in the house - playing board games and charades, drinking hot chocolate, watching movies and eating tamales until we can't eat anymore.

The snowfall on Christmas Eve made things even more exciting.  Jon read from the scriptures and I read a story that a friend from church had given us. We try to make sure the right perspective about what Christmas means to us is included in the season but we're not militant about it. Kids are kids and they are going to be crazy excited for gifts and will talk non-stop about Santa coming to town. We're okay with that. In fact, we enjoy and encourage it. These moments for me to see their belief in this part of Christmas is so very short and I like to enjoy it all. I fully expect them to grow up with happy memories of Christmas and come to understand the deeper reason for it all, just like I did.

And with that, we told them it was time to spread some Christmas cheer so we ventured out to do a little caroling. Now, we in no way think our singing will ever bring anyone cheer. As we practiced in the car we kept laughing at how bad it sounded and would scratch that particular song off our list. So we kept it simple and asked that the Spirit would drown out the song.

We pulled up to one friend's house and saw their family walking down the sidewalk. Jon rolled down the window and told them we were coming to their house to carol. They were actually heading to their neighbor's to do the same so they asked us to go along. This neighbor's adult daughter died in a car accident a few years ago so the holidays can be especially tough on them.

Between our two families there were 15 people standing at the door. You can imagine their surprise.
Trae stood at the very front and on the porch steps. When we were done singing, the woman asked him to come to her. He hesitated a little but went up as she held out her arms. She hugged him tightly - not once, but twice and kissed him on the cheek. It was the sweetest thing. It was like a grandma's hug; something Trae has never experienced. They both exchanged big grins and for that moment, I knew she felt close to her daughter. I mentioned something about it in the car and Blair asked how she could feel that way when Trae was so little and isn't her child and her daughter was older. Jon told her that no matter a child's age, they will always be our babies and she was really missing her baby then. I told Blair that it was comforting for her to be around someone who could fulfill that longing for family and in this case, just a hug from a child was all that was needed.

"Oh, the magic of Christmas." she said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chalkboard history

Over 40 years ago, my mom brought home this chalkboard after pulling it out of an old, dilapidated one-room schoolhouse just a couple fields over from where I grew up in Washington state. 

The farthest back I remember playing with it was when I was in 1st grade and my mom telling me that one day my own kids could write on it. I also remember going into the schoolhouse some years later, before it was torn down and having to watch my step because cows had taken up residence. By then it was just a shell of a building. We just stood in the middle of the room and my mom told me how she would love to buy it to restore.

I don't know the age of the chalkboard but it has stayed in such good shape all these years even surviving 3 cross-country moves. It's now up in the kitchen and it makes me so happy to bring a tiny bit of history of my little valley right here in my home.

 

 

*

*The school house was across the driveway from where my horses are standing. Mine was the one on the right, Midnight. His official show name was The Midnight Champion but I just called him Middy. My sister's horse was named Star and her show name was Star Countess. She was a big diva, being a 3/4 registered Arab.  That is my childhood home in the background on the side of the hill. It was the best place to grow and play. I was so lucky.