Tonight we're going to the last campfire of the season. I love sitting around the campfire, staying up well past my usual 9-10:00 bedtime and talking into the wee hours of the night. There is something about the glow of the fire and the stillness of the night that makes time just an irrelevent detail. But we've reached the end of the season, and the last campfire is really a confession that summer is over and it's time to gear up for winter.
I've always thought Fall was a great idea for the transition... all the leaves turn beautiful colors before they fall off the trees, leaving them exposed until the snow comes to cover them. I get really sentimental this time of year, reflecting on the memories of summer and anticipating the new memories that will be made this upcoming holiday season. This time of year, there is no past, present, and future. In my heart I live it all at once. I can see Jenelle and Rachel toddling down our stairs, learning to ride their bikes, playing at the park, sledding on our hill, driving off for prom, and tp-ing our own house . . . and it's all in present-tense. I love reminiscing . . . there is so much laughter, so many stories, so much joy that lives in our home and in our family.
I think my favorite day of the year is the day after Thanksgiving. It's the day our Christmas season really begins. We get up early with all the crazy people to line up at the stores with the best deals. In fact this year Jenelle and Rachel intend to camp out all night in front of a store to be in the front of the line. They don't even know what the stores have yet. It really doesn't matter . . . it's all about the experience!
Sometime during the early afternoon we go pick out our Christmas tree. Always from the same lot, always the same kind of tree...one with big, soft needles. We take it home, decorate, and then we turn down the lights, light some candles, turn on the Christmas music, and admire our work as we eat grilled cheese sandwiches and drink hot cocoa. Now, the grilled cheese sandwiches and hot cocoa have been the source of a lot of mockery for me through the years. When I was a kid, my grandma would make this every single Christmas Eve, and it was such a heart-warming tradition that I decided to carry it on with my family. Except, the problem was the first few years we never did it. I would tell people it was one of our family traditions, and the rest of the family was quick to point out that the only tradition was me SAYING it was our tradition. (As long as I had the good intentions in my heart, that was good enough for me!) Finally, although it wound up being the day after Thanksgiving instead of Christmas Eve, it did eventually become one of our own heart-warming traditions.
So, before the snow flies, and while we still have some Fall left to enjoy, I just want to wish everyone a very wonderful holiday season. Eat lots of turkey on Thanksgiving, have fun with all your Christmas traditions (real or imagined!), and most of all.... thank God that He's given us the families we have to experience it all with!
Merry Early Christmas, everybody! (I told you I get sentimental!)
I've always thought Fall was a great idea for the transition... all the leaves turn beautiful colors before they fall off the trees, leaving them exposed until the snow comes to cover them. I get really sentimental this time of year, reflecting on the memories of summer and anticipating the new memories that will be made this upcoming holiday season. This time of year, there is no past, present, and future. In my heart I live it all at once. I can see Jenelle and Rachel toddling down our stairs, learning to ride their bikes, playing at the park, sledding on our hill, driving off for prom, and tp-ing our own house . . . and it's all in present-tense. I love reminiscing . . . there is so much laughter, so many stories, so much joy that lives in our home and in our family.
I think my favorite day of the year is the day after Thanksgiving. It's the day our Christmas season really begins. We get up early with all the crazy people to line up at the stores with the best deals. In fact this year Jenelle and Rachel intend to camp out all night in front of a store to be in the front of the line. They don't even know what the stores have yet. It really doesn't matter . . . it's all about the experience!
Sometime during the early afternoon we go pick out our Christmas tree. Always from the same lot, always the same kind of tree...one with big, soft needles. We take it home, decorate, and then we turn down the lights, light some candles, turn on the Christmas music, and admire our work as we eat grilled cheese sandwiches and drink hot cocoa. Now, the grilled cheese sandwiches and hot cocoa have been the source of a lot of mockery for me through the years. When I was a kid, my grandma would make this every single Christmas Eve, and it was such a heart-warming tradition that I decided to carry it on with my family. Except, the problem was the first few years we never did it. I would tell people it was one of our family traditions, and the rest of the family was quick to point out that the only tradition was me SAYING it was our tradition. (As long as I had the good intentions in my heart, that was good enough for me!) Finally, although it wound up being the day after Thanksgiving instead of Christmas Eve, it did eventually become one of our own heart-warming traditions.
So, before the snow flies, and while we still have some Fall left to enjoy, I just want to wish everyone a very wonderful holiday season. Eat lots of turkey on Thanksgiving, have fun with all your Christmas traditions (real or imagined!), and most of all.... thank God that He's given us the families we have to experience it all with!
Merry Early Christmas, everybody! (I told you I get sentimental!)
2 comments:
Tracy,
This is Amy Bowman(Whiteaker). I saw your comment on Serenity's site. I browsed through your blog and really enjoyed what I have read so far. Good stuff!!! I'm glad you are all doing well. It's fun to find one another in blogland. :-)
Have a happy holiday season as well!!!
Thanks for the comment, Amy! I never realized when I started this blog that it would give me the opportunity to find out what's going on in the lives of so many different people! I'm glad I have a link to your blog now!
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