Early Christmas Here, too

Well, Monte and Jan must have been very good this year. Santa has delivered two round trip tickets to Salt Lake City to visit our children and grandchildren. I know I said that this trip "just didn't cover it" but I didn't mean that the way it sounded. Besides, I was afraid we weren't going to be able to make it this year - grounds for depression. The point is that I seem to be able to have my cake and eat it too this year (a cake decorator's favorite euphemism). I get to have a gingerbread party with the Oelkers' clan and then go to Utah and make every possible effort to completely spoil my grandchildren. What could be better? Also, we have been coveting a flat screen TV for years. Santa delivered a 40" TV last night. Woo hoo.

A holiday memory

One of my sweetest Christmas memories is Grandma Anna's Christmas tree. My grandmother loved Christmas more than anyone I know. The day after thanksgiving she decorated her house to within an inch of it's identity. She had a huge Christmas tree upstairs in the front window. The room had vaulted ceilings and that room had full length/height windows across one entire wall. This tree she trimmed with decorations she had used for many, many years. We had so much fun looking for our favorites. She had some glass balls that were the size of casaba melons. We thought the tree was elegant but it didn't have a "theme" it was just covered with sweet memories. Grandma also decorated a second christmas tree for the family room. This tree had all the child made, macaroni strung, knitted, and knotted decorations on it- every gift from every child and grandchild, niece, or nephew over 60 years of love. It was also beautiful - in a different way.

Holidays

For the first time in years I'm getting excited about the holidays. I don't know exactly what has caused this uplift but I'm especially grateful for it. Maybe it has taken me just shy of 10 years to resign myself to not being close to my children during the holidays. For the past few years, Monte and I have gone to Utah for Christmas. Sometimes flying in on Christmas eve and home 2 days later, and I love those trips, but they don't quite cover it. Okay, I know that my happiness during the holidays can't be dependent on someone else's actions, but this is probably why I've been doing the scrooge thing. Anyway, this year I'm excited. I'm planning a Christmas party. One of the things I miss about the Christmas season with my kids is the gingerbread houses we used to build. So-o I've invited all my nieces and nephews to my house to decorate gingerbread houses. Wyatt and Willa (who live next door) have been at my house for the past 2 nights helping me make and bake gingerbread. We have doused the kitchen in flour repeatedly and I'm having a blast.