The Trouble with Christmas

The trouble with Christmas is that it is bittersweet. I love Christmas. I love hearing and telling the story of the Nativity. I love the lights (which we went out last night to see). I love that Jesus Christ agreed to be born into mortality and experience life in order to be crucified that we might enjoy eternal life with our loved ones. This does, of course, bring a bit of sadness though because even as we can look forward to being with our family, and friends, in the eternities, as we look back to the events which make this possible, we must also look at the present. In the here-and-now, I miss Daniel. I miss Papa. I miss my dad. I miss Uncle Mick and our trips to Mt. Shasta on his motorcycle for ice-cream. I miss Robert Lee’s smile. I know that we all have experience loss and I know that as time goes on, we will experience more. However, I also know that one day, we will be together. Picture this: Papa, my dad, Daniel, Uncle Mick, Robert Lee, and all those who have gone before us, missing us. I imagine that, given their new perspective, they are not missing us with the tears I experience daily, but with smiles and encouragement to those of us who yet remain in mortality.

Christmas Eve

Our topper: Not your average angel.

With that, we had a good Christmas. We are still working on merging the traditions that we brought with the ones Paul grew up with along with the absence of Daniel so things are. . . interesting. . . but good. We had a turkey and ham with mashed potatoes, potato salad (made by Elizabeth who brought it because it is a Peruvian tradition, cranberry sauce, stuffing, rolls and gravy. Fairly simple. Before our Christmas dinner, we had shrimp dip, onion dip and cream cheese and salsa dip with chips. After, we ate candy. And more chips and dip. We had, besides our usual eight, my mother, Jonathan and Elizabeth, Elders Sanchez and Nash, and Adam. It was good.

Christmas morning. And I just noticed that Paul is giving Cedric his morning tickling.

Stockings

In the morning, before anyone was technically allowed downstairs, the boys were and were checking out the tree. From a safe distance because Grandma was on the couch and I was on my way down. Joseph said, “See, Santa is too real. Otherwise, where did all the stuff come from?” Seth had been giving him a bad time about Santa not being real. Paul and I back Joseph up. To me, Santa represents the giving of the season. Even as Jesus was born and gave his life for us, Santa translates that into the giving of gifts so that we can better understand the true meaning of the season.

I can't say that Stan (the skeleton) is the most original gift I've ever received because each creation that my children give me is original and unique. I suppose I could say that he (Stan) is in a class of his own.

It being Christmas, it was also Amena’s thirteenth birthday. She’d been struggling with a cold and asthma. She was bad enough that I considered taking her to the hospital but since we had Paul, Jonathan, and two missionaries, I suggested a blessing which she agreed to. After that, she was better. I hear her coughing but she was up for dinner yesterday and stayed up after that. The coughing is part of the package which really stinks.

Today we are back to a somewhat normal routine. Paul has to work as does Joanna. Laura is taking my mother out to see Les Miserables. Joanna needs to go to Leominster before work to buy a new pair of pants because hers are falling apart. I fixed them a week or two ago but they are quickly approaching the point of no return.

The dryer just stopped which means Joanna will be wanting to leave shortly which means I will be back at some point before the day is over.

11:11 am

Well, here I am. We went to Marshall’s first but they didn’t have any pants that would work. Then we went to Target and they had some but the only ones they had that would fit Joanna were skinny jeans. Then we went to Payless Shoes but they weren’t open so we waited until they were and she got shoes too. Then we stopped at the West’s to get a movie that Amena wanted to borrow for her birthday party which is tomorrow. Then I dropped Joanna off at work and only 15 minutes early. Not too bad.

Paul is gone to work. My mother is knitting. Laura is in the shower. Seth brought in one load of wood (he’ll need to do at least three or four more). Joseph cleaned the ashes out of the fireplace. The goats are watered (by Seth and Cedric) and staked (by Laura, Cedric and Seth). I already have pictures downloaded and have something in mind for a post in my other blog. Laundry is drying and washing and I’ll be doing lots of that today. I plan on making cookies. There is much to be done so I supposed I’d best be getting on with it.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that today is as good.

I just thought the lights from the tree would be cool behind Stan.

PS Aunt Julie, thanks so much for the email. If ever you can come visit, I would love to have you. Any time. I love you guys and miss you bunches.

PPS AD, we did have a houseful. And it was fun. I think a houseful of family and friends is a testament as to the kind of people who live in the house (which should not be taken badly in any way for those, like you, who had just you—there is a time and a season for everything). Love you too, always.

PPS To everyone, thank you for being my family and friends. Even though we may have differing opinions and thoughts on some things, those things really are trivial when it comes to the core of life and that is love.