memories of Christmas' past

an all time favorite taken after a Christmas play
staged, written, directed and performed in our family room
by the Bondurant Six
Jonathan, Elizabeth, Sarah, Ruth, Deborah, Andrew
money cannot buy this

garland over the bar
nativities scattered throughout the house
lighted ceramic houses with figurines arranged to make a village

gingerbread houses
little kids and big kids surrounding the table,
giggles (and sometimes frosting and candies) filling the air

paper chains
to count down the days 
until we packed the car and headed north after we moved to Kentucky

a new ornament
chosen every year for each child
to encourage a dream or remember something important

decorating the tree
Bill getting the lights "just so"
each child with their own shoe box of ornaments to empty

a tree skirt
homemade of white flannel 
with traced felt hands sewn on, documenting yearly growth

candy canes
dozens hanging on branches
each child getting one per day until they were gone

sitting at night
with only the tree lights on
squinting as we looked at them to get the "halo effect"

Christmas cards
addressed by me, stamped by Bill
each person in our family signed their own name

baking
cut out sugar cookies with royal icing
Thumbprints, and Grandma's Cookies

a plate of cookies
delivered to each neighbor
and work associates to teach about giving

caroling
meeting at church to divide into groups
returning to the shelter house for cookies and hot chocolate

Kids Christmas program at church
shining faces, ornery faces, sweet voices raised in song or verse
telling the story of our Savior's birth

a small, brown paper sack
handed to each child after the program
with a full sized candy bar, apple, orange, banana it

Christmas morning
gathering on the steps
Bill reading the Christmas story to begin the day 

a birthday cake
complete with candles
singing Happy Birthday to Jesus after the story

stockings
hung from the mantle, empty, Christmas eve
filled with fruit, a fat peppermint stick and a few small wrapped gifts

presents
three for each child, opened one at a time,
to symbolize the gifts the wisemen brought Jesus

a trash bag
for Bill to put discarded paper in
as each gift was unwrapped

we spent less on each child
than a lot of people we knew spent on each gift
but we did our best to get each child something they really wanted

these memories
bring a contented sigh from deep inside 
and a huge smile to my face and heart because love lasts forever

I just had a memory from a year Bill and I knew was lean. 
Out of the blue one of our kids looked at us and said,
"We are so rich!"
When we asked them why they thought we were rich they replied, 
"Look at all of our Christmas cards!" 
(they were taped to the wall) 
The cards were taped to the wall, not the kid.
"Look at how many people love us!"
God often uses children to remind or teach us important stuff.
The gift of love is priceless
and love makes the simplest things, like a card or a memory, invaluable.