It is the eve of Christmas Eve. I have just had a delicious meal of peppercorn ham with sautéed veggies and steamed carrots. My parents got in last night and will be heading on to my brothers for Christmas day. It's always good having them here. I'm grateful they are still able to travel and be here for Christmas. Christmas makes me a little nostalgic. I can remember all the fun Christmases back in Kentucky with giant Christmas trees, my mom's coffee cake, and opening pajamas on Christmas Eve. I remember that I didn't like It's a Wonderful Life when I was a kid, and then how that changed when I got into high school. I don't understand people who don't like It's a Wonderful Life. I think it is probably the best movie ever made. Great story, great directing, and phenomenal acting = best film EVER! I can still remember when my mom was sick one Christmas and my dad tried to make the biscuits for our breakfast (we tossed them up the hill for the birds, they were so hard the birds tossed them back). Probably my favorite Christmas memory was our tree back in 1997. My parents house has a vaulted ceiling allowing a fifteen-seventeen foot tree. One year my brother, sister, and I (my oldest brother was still at college) went to cut down our tree. We brought home a tree that was literally larger than our eighty-eight Chevy twelve-passenger van. We had to take a few feet off the bottom just to get it to fit and it was so big around you could hardly squash through to get into the back hallway. It was massive (imagine Chevy Chase's tree, but bigger). We decorated it with every ornament and light we had in the house, and I think one of my siblings had to hold the other on their shoulders to get the star on top. I really with I had a picture to share.
Christmas is so much different now that I am married and have children of my own. I really don't know if I care about opening gifts for myself anymore (that is a huge deal, because while I love giving gifts, I really enjoy receiving them as well). I am so excited to see E's face as she opens gifts and share the things with Bekah I've bought for her. I'm excited to enjoy worshiping Christ and celebrating His birth at Church in the morning, and eating with my family and friends (and watching football with my brother in law) that evening. I am excited for Christmas this year because I'm filled with excitement and joy with my progress of this journey. I'm also excited that I'm not brought down by a love of food and overindulging on it. I do plan to enjoy Chinese, pizza, and then fish on Christmas, but I can enjoy it because I won't be binging on it. It's Christmas here in the Vickers' house, and I'm still losing my butter half.
I think I had to put K on my shoulders and then send on top of a stool or chair. I could be wrong, will have to ask her. Proud of you bro! Love you
ReplyDeleteI think Mark stood on the landing with Kibbie on his shoulders. Mom and I held our breath.
ReplyDeleteI remember people stopped by my office laughing that there was a tree bigger than our van tied to the top of the van. I got home and the tree really was bigger than the van!
What made all those memories possible was your wonderful mother. And she is still doing it today, helping people all over Bville. She is truly a Christmas blessing to us all!
I pray as we all rush around, we still focus on Jesus as the reason for this season and every minute of life.
God Bless us all with a thankful heart and a Merry Christmas.
Pops