Friday, December 16, 2005

December ramblings


In case anyone forgot what Garrett looks like, here is a picture of him. Of course it was taken two years ago, but he hasn't changed that much.

We are planning on making the drive up to Ely the week after Christmas. Wonder if there will be snow like there was two years ago? We had fun didn't we dacheese? Since that Christmas, Andrew has spent a year in Iraq and is now back in the states. We have four new granddaughters a new son-in-law and soon to be one or two daughter-in-laws. I don't think we have aged at all - anyway we sure don't feel any older. Where does time go?

Thanks to dacheese and Rhaynnon we have a decorated tree in our living room. I think this Christmas is the hardest one yet. We have children at home, but they aren't ours anymore. They are their own people and have their own families. Who is Santa? Who will fill the stockings? I didn't realize how hard this year was hitting me until last week when I was freezing cold and alone in Kansas City. Then I realized that this big change is real, we don't have our own babies anymore who will wait wide eyed for Santa. That is a resposibility that falls to the next generation, and even though we can be there to watch, we are just onlookers. There won't be children all piled into one bedroom, staying awake all night, talking. We won't need to find an ingenious way to block off the living room to hide any unwrapped presents. No great treasure hunt type gifts. Nothing the same as it has been for the past 25+ years. Maybe the mom won't be so grouchy either?

This year we may be able to act out the Nativity, but who gets to be Mary? We have the perfect candidate for the role of the Christ child, but who should be Joseph? Oh for the simplicity of the years when we grabbed a doll, wrapped it in swaddling clothes, had two wise guys H & G, Joseph Jesse, Mary Briana, and Angel Andrew. Putting appropriate headgear on the dogs so that we could have a donkey, a camel or a sheep. We can't go back, so I guess we'll just have to move forward and honor those wonderful memories.

3 comments:

lvh said...

I want to go to Ely - that is one place I would move back to in a heartbeat. No bears so it was fun to go hiking in Great Basin Park by myself. Driving to Cave Lake just to sit a spell. The colors of the quakies on Success Loop. I love MT but Ely is a beautiful place which a lot of people haven't discovered yet - thank heavens. It's main advantage over here is that it's only 4 hours to Vegas for that mid-winter trip when you need to thaw out for an afternoon. Tell Garrett hello for me. lvh

leaner said...

AH, mom. I miss those days too! I don't want to be Santa... I wasnt prepared for it. I think that having to be the one who hides the gifts and buys the gifts should give you a different sense of wonder, but instead its making me carry on the tradition of "cranky mama" and I hate that.
I want to be there on Christmas eve, to act out the Nativity, to listen to Dad read the story. Maybe you dould record him so that he will always read it for me, and my family. (Ok, I am crying because I am all grown up and sad.)

Those long nights all sleeping in the same room, huddled together in the bed and giggling were the best. It really added to the wonder of Christmas and the togetherness.

Guess I just need to start new traditions, huh?

Briep said...

What santa isn't real??I must go cry myself to sleep now... what about the presents I got?? Mom lied to me? How could you...