And a Partridge in a Pear Tre-eee

First of all, you become a grandparent not so much by your children having children, but by having things like this in your house:

You have a garage door opener for years and it never breaks, then one day you look at it with fresh eyes and voila- another set of grandparents is created.  That thing is at least 50 years old.

So Happy 5th Day of Christmas to all of you!  If I try to pinpoint the best Christmas I’ve ever had, I think immediately to the Christmas when I got the Baby-sitter’s Club board game, not so much for that gift specifically, but for the over-the-top excitement of that Christmas.  As I think about the details, I’m sure I start to merge various Christmases from 1985-1995:  church on Christmas Eve, barely sleeping and waking up super early on Christmas morning, spending time with my siblings and parents, plus both sets of grandparents plus aunts and uncles, candy and cookies all day, and presents.

That’s the kind of Christmas I had this year, over the top exciting.  I understand the true meaning of Christmas- INCARNATION, the Word made flesh, all pointing towards resurrection, the whole reason we have any hope for any second of our lives or future – and I’ve been thinking about it a  lot this year in relation to how we celebrate.  I hope I’m finding a way to celebrate that joyfully.  I certainly felt a joy among my family that runs deeper than commercialism or sappy sentimentality.

I certainly can’t claim that I did my best to avoid all things commercial, but at the same time I recognize that the Lightening McQueen sleeping bag wasn’t what made Christmas so special this year - or any year. 

It wasn’t even my brand new dictionary that made it so great.

I love the tradition and ritual of Christmas and so many of my best Christmas memories from years past were present this year.  Church with my parents on Christmas Eve, barely sleeping on Christmas Eve (both from excitement and a restless/upset child) and waking up at 4 AM, then 4:30, then FINALLY 6:30, opening presents with one set of (grand)parents in the morning, another in the afternoon and on into the evening (we can really drag it out), eating and spending time with the people I love, including Tate and Carolena on their first Christmas.

It was a truly wonderful experience.  

I really enjoy Christmas presents.  I know that it’s not really the thing for a
*mature* Christian adult to say, but it’s true.  I like shopping for gifts and wrapping them and giving them and watching them be opened and receiving them and talking about them.  I know, contrary to what my excitement at getting a new bike or pair of scissors may portray, that the presents aren’t what Christmas is about.  But I like getting a new board game to play and a new book to read.  As long as it’s possible to give and receive, I enjoy it. 

But there are so many other things I enjoy about it too – like the preparations of Christmas Eve, which we seemed to have two of this year, both on the 23rd and 24th.  Trent made the traditional Norwegian Christmas bread, julekake, this year while my mom made my former Assistant Chief of Police grandpa’s jailhouse rolls.  My dad and brother finished their last minute shopping and I wrote the Christmas story from Luke on the kitchen chalkboard.  There was joy in the preparations.

There were fabulous handmade gifts all around this year, many of worthy of their own individual posts.   For now, let’s just say that I have the greatest, most wonderful sister in the world and no one will ever, EVER, top the gift she made for me this year.

She also knitted a Viking hat for my brother.  Again, Best. Sister. Ever.

Among some of my favorite new Christmas traditions are Christmas Eve dinner cooked by my sister-in-law Kim, always festive and delish and not really that new actually, and Mel’s Christmas pumpkin.

Among the many Christmas miracles that undoubtedly appear worldwide every year, we had a small miracle in Rush and Tate playing peacefully together for a few minutes.  It’s hopefully the start of something wonderful.

And look at that Christmas trifle!  It looks just like the magazine…?

And after all the excitement…nestled all snug…

I could go on and on.  I’m so thankful for the time spent with my family – I love you guys.  And to those I didn’t see this year – Merry Christmas!