A few days before Christmas, I was driving my older daughter around so she could get presents. I asked her what she was most looking forward to about Christmas. She told me it was going to my sister's house on Christmas Eve and how she loved the atmosphere of going there, how it was warm and inviting, and there are all these presents under the tree and just how much fun it is. Strangely enough, shortly after she said that we pulled into a parking lot for a store and I received a text. The text said "bad news, Deb (my sister) is going to the hospital for her heart). I told my daughter and we said a quick prayer together, then I texted my other daughter and husband.
It turned out she was going to need hospitalization for a few nights, so going to their house on Christmas Eve was not going to happen. Of course, I was concerned about her, and stayed in constant texting contact with her husband so I'd know how she was doing. Thankfully, it was nothing immediately life threatening, although had she not gone to the hospital when she did, it could have turned out to be.
Since this changed our plans, we spent Christmas Eve at our very dear friends' house. Scot and Kristin have been friends of ours for years, and they are Godparents to our daughters. We also had a somewhat magical Christmas Eve snow. Many people don't like snow because of having to shovel it, etc., but I can't seem to help really enjoying it. The girls were happy with snow on Christmas Eve. We had a fabulous time eating chili and oyster stew at Kristin and Scot's. We exchanged some gifts and went home.
Twice since the girls have been around, we haven't been able to go to my sister's on Christmas Eve. I think KD really enjoys being home on Christmas morning and opening presents like most people do traditionally. She wasted no time getting up on Christmas day and was ready to begin. We had a wonderful family Christmas all the way around. And on Christmas day, my sister got to go home.
The day after Christmas we headed to my sister's with a van full of presents, not just for them, but also for our nephew and niece and their daughters, who live on our way to my sister's. We had a great trip, stopping there first, then going to my sister's where we had a fabulous Christmas Eve. My sister knows how to make Christmas so much fun!!
We stayed over that night and the next day the girls went sledding with their uncle, helped him do chores (they raise peafowl and geese) and we played a game of "Hearts". I've had a beloved large jade sphere I got a few years back which is supposed to help with heart health. While I think maybe it's meant to help with heart health of the emotional kind, it seemed right to give it to my sister. Later my daughter commented that she was surprised I gave it away because it had always meant a lot to me. I figured my sister needed it more than I did at this point. Besides, now I have a reason to look for a sphere to take it's place.
The girls and I took our time driving home, stopping to eat at the "Iowa Machine Shed" on the way.
It was a fabulous holiday and we had the rest of winter break to look forward to. On Monday night into Tuesday morning, we got a really big snowstorm. We got 9 inches of snow and our snowblower broke. I spent the day Tuesday shoveling our driveway (which I didn't mind one bit), and helping my daughter build a fabulous snow fort. There was something very zen about the act of playing in the snow for me. It was very mindless work and play and so it gave my mind a chance to just wander. The next day I spent more time on the snow fort as well. It turned out to be quite an epic snow fort. The girls enjoyed it and so did I.
I think I understand why the Buddhist monks make sand mandalas. Several years back, there were a group of monks visiting our town and they made a huge sand mandala just down the street from us. It was incredibly beautiful and we spent a little time watching them in the creation process. I know our snow fort will not last forever, in fact, it's already started to fall down where the sun hits it in the morning, but making it was a great experience and I loved every second of it. It is not as intricate and beautiful as the Buddhist's mandala, but there's something very "zen" about the act of building it, and then knowing it is not permanent.
I hope your holidays were merry as well. Today starts getting back into the "swing of things" for all of us. I'm looking forward to the adventures that 2016 holds.
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