Memories

So, I spent some of the holidays going thru family photos.  Much to my surprise, I ran across an piece I wrote waaaayyyyy back in 1991 that I thought was long gone.  I take great pleasure in finding it once again and wanted to share it for posterity's sake.  It brought back a lot of memories for me and hope it does for you as well.  Enjoy!

     Christmas is a big deal in our family.  I sometimes think my husband Rick and I await its coming more than our son Justin.  In fact just the other day, almost three weeks before Thanksgiving, we were out driving aound in seventy degree weather , windows down, with Christmas blaring from the speakers.
     We're not the only ones who are pushing things a bit.  It seems the stores put out their trimmings earlier every year.  As we wandered around in these stores through a fantasy of greenery, garlands and twinkling lights, we came upon a platform of gaily decorated artificial trees.
     For the past few years, Rick and I have gazed at these imitations of beauty.  I could always tell the same thoughts were racing through our brains: less fire hazard, no pine needles to sweep, not vacuum, up.  (I learned my lesson on that when I destroyed the vacuum cleaner a few years ago!).   No more being skewered alive by razor sharp points while trying to put on ornaments and lights to strategically hide the bald spots.  Lastly, but most important, no more fighting to keep my balance with my 5 foot 2 inch frame buried in the middle of a 6 to 7 foot tree while my ears are assaulted with the muttered ravings of my beloved, lying under the tree.  "Keep it steady!"  "Pull it towards you!"  "Push it back!"
     Slowly, my satisfied smirk begins to fade as my inner nature begins to rebel.  Before my eyes flash precious memories I will NEVER forget.  My father and I trudging through a half foot of snow in the New York woods where I grew up.  He with say in hand, while I ran from tree to tree, trying to find just the perfect one.
     Back at the house, after we'd shaken off the snow, we'd take it inside and the whole family would decide on the perfect side and spot for our treasure.  As the tree warmed, the heavenly smell of fresh cut pine would entwine itself with the incense of my mother's holiday baking.  My father would string the large indoor-outdoor mulitcolored lights and silver garland, after which all of us would take out the glass ball ornaments, some of us not so carefully, and place them just so on each branch.  Next, the tinsel went on, not in bunches, but with several single strands placed on each branch, to reflect the steadily burning lights.  Of course no tree is complete without the flair of red and white candy canes, at least the ones that made it on the tree and not into our mouths!  Lastly came the final touch of that brightly flashing star on the utmost branch, the reminder of what the season is really all about.  The lights would then be turned out, the tree lights turned on, and our personal fairy land would commence!
      I have tried diligently to keep this special tradition alive and well in my family for eight years now.  I remember the thrill of having my first Christmas tree in my own home.  I remember the first tree after my son was born, my precious bundle strapped into the snuggle carrier in front of my, close to my heart, gazing rapturously at the bright white lights of the Christmas tree lot as my husband and I diligently searched for the perfect tree for our now perfect family.  The cold air was biting our faces, our hands were sticky with pine tar, but our spirits were warm and glowing inside of us.
     The ornaments have changed.  No longer just glass balls, but a mixture of gold plated scenes, unicorns and cats, wooden trains and toy soldiers, a few ornaments we made when we were young, along with the ones my son now makes at school.  The lights are smaller now and twinkle merrily along with the 'reminder' star on the top most branch, but the feelings and the memories are the same as they come flooding back all through our traditional trek.
     Back in the store, my husband says to me, "They're taller this year but they're still not as full as I'd like."  I quickly reply, "They are really expensive."  "I'd like to get one some day." he says.  "Some day." I repeat, as I think to myself, this imitation of beauty can never take the place of the real thing, and the feelings and memories it brings to my home...and my heart.  Merry Christmas, everyone, and may this next year be your best, blessed yet!

Post script:



    

Welcome to my blog!

Well, here goes! Don't usually do this or have TIME to do this, but I want to have a record of the craziness that is my life. I homeschool, I run the office for Cone Oasis Baptist Camp, I run the KITchen for Cone Oasis, I supervise the housekeeping AND I'm a mom and a wife. Also, my 11 year old son, Judah, has a severe case of ADHD and Aspergers - a form of Autism. I have a condition called Fibromyalgia which causes constant (although different) levels of pain and fatigue. So the sign that says it's a crazy life is true...but it IS our life!
There is some semblance of a schedule for us, but not what most people would call normal. A "normal" day for us is to get up about 10:00 a.m. (IF I can make it up by then), I get Judah his meds, take my meds, get Judah and myself something to eat and then get started on homeschooling. We homeschool (more or less when Judah isn't trying to get out of it!) until about 3:00 p.m. Sometimes it's as late as 5:00 p.m. Then it's dinner and chill out time! Unless...it's Wednesday when Judah has Awana and we have date night! It's also a short homeschool day as I have to travel 30 miles to my chiropractor for my appointment. Or Judah has to travel 30 miles to McAllen once a month for his appointment with his psychiatrist to get his meds redone. Now, I'm going to be going to a pain clinic (luckily only about 15 minutes away) to help deal with my Fibromyalgia. So we have a ton of Dr.'s appointments that interrupt homeschooling. Arrgg!
That's actually our winter schedule. During the winter, the camp has Winter Texans, retired people who come stay in their campers and help us out with construction, sewing quilts to be sent across the border, cleaning, maintaining the grounds...whatever skill they can bring. They're a real blessing to us! We get together with them every Thursday for themed dinner in the cafeteria. We've had Mexican night, Italian night, Christmas dinner and a fish fry. This Thursday is grill out night with hamburgers and hot dogs. They're a blast and what characters! :) Never boring here.
Spring break and summer are going to be a TOTALLY different story! The camp can hold up to 180 at a time aaaaand since I run the kitchen, the operative word is going to be RUN!!! Summer days start early and end late. We're also not going to have interns this summer as we were to late to apply for them, so it's going to be veeerrry interestingh! God always provides tho. He sends us people for a day or a week or a month to help out and they always seem to show up at the busiest times! Thanks Daddy! :) We'll make it, and the nice part is South Padre Island is only 45 minutes away now, not 3 hours! We always take about a week's vacation after the craziness of summer.
Well, so is my first attempt at blogging. Like I said, if you enjoyed it, I'm glad! If you follow us, I'm even gladder (is that a word? And I teach English. Right.) but even if no one does but me, I'll be able to look back and have an account of my crazy family and they'll be able to look back and say "Aren't you glad OUR family isn't like mine was?" LOL! We pray that each one of you (or just us) will have a blessed week and a less crazy life than ours! Hasta proximo!