This was our tree Christmas Eve; today it looks like it’s been strip-searched. Still, I’ll leave it up for a few more days just to enjoy the lights.
Christmas has come and gone and, boy, did it go fast. What I’ll treasure includes:
1. Looks. The look on our Grandson’s face when we FINALLY got through to the Santa Tracker hotline Christmas Eve and he could ask the question he’d waited to ask, “Um, when exactly is Santa going to be in Michigan?” And their answer, “Well Santa has just crossed the international date line from the Arctic circle and is entering into Canada now, which you know borders the United States; our trackers estimate {{sounds of calculators, blips and bells}} him to arrive in Michigan in.. approximately 200 minutes.” The speed with which he launched himself to bed was incredible!
2. Being together. The boys, me and Hubbs, sitting by the fire and laughing but suddenly hearing small feet padding across the living room above and here came wee MJ, teary-eyed, “But Nana, we forgot to put out the Milk & cookies and Santa is going to be so very hungry after that long trip..” And so we got cookies deployed and milk poured and off she went to fall asleep in my bed with the biggest smile on her face.
3. Snow. Big, fat, fluffy snowflakes swirling down from above. All my peeps tucked into the nest and here came Christmas snow. Magical.
4. Sounds. Hearing snores from her brother across the hall, I slipped into bed next to a wee one who woke and whispered, “Nana, I love you.” And as her small hand grabbed mine I smiled and cried in the dark, thanking my lucky stars that these little people know, really know, how much they’re loved.
5. Morning. Waking up to an eyeball and a giggle, a million questions and exclamations of, “He came! Pops (on the couch) wake up! Santa came! Look at our stockings! He ate the cookies! The milk is gone!” and racing through the house to wake everyone up and share the news.
To celebrate Jesus’ birthday with one big party and hearing: “Can I open this next?” “Thank you Uncle H for the gifts” “This one’s from me!” “Nana this is so much fun” “Thank you Daddy, I love you so much” “Thank you Pops” and lastly, “we miss Frankie, too.”
A big breakfast together, a bit of time to play and then came time for clothes & boots, jackets zipped and off to Mommy’s for round two. A big winter’s nap for the rest of us and what lingered .. was love.

My two Hooligans lurking in the kitchen .. waiting for French Toast and sausage, bacon and eggs, ham and juice and … and … and
“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”
― Angela Schwindt
Care to share your Random 5 from Christmas 2013?