Our Christmas .... 2022

Like pretty much everyone else in the world, we had a busy December.

We knew Christmas was coming;  we aren't oblivious, but we had other things to do and we had time.  Right?

Lisa turned 60 this year, and the ONLY thing she wanted for that milestone was family pictures.  We were able to get the entire family together on my birthday, and we got some absolutely fabulous family photos which were turned into Christmas cards.  These we managed to order and send out piecemeal throughout the early part of the month.  Woo hoo!

Early in the month Mark did get the outside lights hung. The bare minimum.  Around the front porch and carport complete with snowflakes.  (Lisa loves the snowflakes.) Then a week or so later he got his homemade Nativity out on the lawn... complete with spotlight.  In the past Mark has done more.  In the future Mark may do more.  But this Christmas, that's all the decorations the outside was given.  *I don't have photos*

Inside.  A couple years ago the lights went out on our old tree.  The last few Christmases we have still used the tree by simply wrapping strings of lights.  This year we decided enough was enough and we broke down and decided to get a new tree.  Of course we decided this fairly early in December, but fairly late according to the public's tree buying standards. The trees were picked over in the stores, so we ordered online.  Which, of course, took a bit of time ... it being December and the busiest time for tree companies and delivery companies.  But... eventually ...our tree did arrive.  And it is beautiful.  And by the time it arrived and was set up, like everyone else in the world, we were busy.  We decided we would decorate it later.  And then later.  And later.  Our tree nor our home ever got any more decorations.  Just a simple tree with beautiful lights.  But sometimes a simple tree with beautiful lights is enough.  Lights make us happy.  

Dolce got to sleep under it every night which I am sure made her happy.

We had not done the lights on the Riverwalk in San Antonio in quite a number of years, so we decided that would be fun.  We reached out to Lisa's cousin, Kris, who lives in San Antonio.  We were able to meet up with Kris and a friend for a beautiful Christmas concert at an Episcopal church one Sunday afternoon. We thoroughly enjoyed the concert, and the church was beautiful.  Kris' friend had to get to work, but the rest of us had a nice dinner on the Riverwalk and then took the boat tour under all the lights.  *I don't have photos*

As the week of Christmas approached, the busiest time of the year for a liquor store, we decided maybe it was time to wrap presents and start making all those fun Christmas treats.  So, in between working a bit longer and definitely busier days, we came home in the evenings and took turns in the kitchen.  We even managed to get all the presents wrapped.  No bows or fancy accouterments, but hey, by now you all know we are fairly simple low-key people and the presents were wrapped.  And they were even wrapped with Christmas paper.

Mark made the first round of cookies:  Peppermint, cinnamon bars and lemon pecan.

Lisa made candied pecans.  Those are a favorite of Marshall, Dustin and Eden. *I don't have a photo*

Jenni takes her girls to "The Nutcracker" at the Wortham Theatre in Houston every year, and, thankfully, she invites me too.  This year we went the week of Christmas, because that week is not already busy enough. Usually we go earlier in the month, but this worked out nicely..  it was a clear, cold day so it even felt like Christmas - not something we always get here in Texas- but it was before the frigid, freezing temperatures hit. This is one of my favorite traditions.  We make a day out of it going to the matinee and then going out to dinner at a really nice restaurant.  This year we went to Laurenzo's on Washington Ave.  If you have not been I highly recommend it.  A smaller restaurant with a warm ambiance and delicious food. One of Dustin's favorites, and Dustin is picky when picking out restaurants.  As we eat, we discuss our favorite parts of the ballet.  And our least favorites, but we all agree that even our "least favorites" are still pretty darn amazing and spectacular.  Those women spend almost the entire ballet on their toes and I have no idea how the men get their leaps so high.  Oh, and the music. The music of Tchaikovsky.  Brilliant.

Laurenzo's

As the week progressed we were able to get more of the goodies made: fudge, coated cereal, caramels, apple pies and pumpkin pie.  The pumpkin pie was made especially for Ila. 

And then it was Christmas. 🎄❤🎄

Christmas Eve is generally the busiest day of the year for the liquor store.  This year was a bit "off". Not sure if it was because Christmas fell on a Sunday or if it was because of the freezing temperatures leading up to the holiday, but this year Christmas Eve was not as bustling as in years past.  Overall the holiday sales were comparable, but people seemed to stock up earlier.  That being said, it was a busy day, just not crazy and chaotic.  We were able to sneak out for a bit and attend church Christmas Eve.  As soon as the service was over, we rushed back to the store, so the others could get out and enjoy their Christmas Eve.  My manager from McCoy's stopped by to grab some beers and realizing how busy and tired we were and also realizing we probably didn't get a "proper" supper, offered to make us a 'to-go' bowl.  After closing down the store at 9pm, we stopped by Scott and Susan's for a nice visit and left with a container full of chicken and dumplings.  As is often the case, it really is small, thoughtful gestures that mean so much and touch our hearts.

Christmas Morning!! 🎄 ❤🎄

Up and off to church. I love the juxtaposition of Christmas Eve church and Christmas Morning church.  The same beautiful story of our Lord and Savior humbling himself to a lowly manger FOR US, but two very different services.  I love them both.

Then off to Marshall and Audrey's.  Harrison and Rosey were precious.  Audrey and Harrison were still in their jammies.  Toys were strewn all over the living room.  Trash bags against the wall filled with torn wrappings.  The entire house said "Christmas!", and was full of love and laughs.

We visited a while as the kids rushed around showing us their wares and being exactly as children should be on Christmas Day.  Happy, excited, full of energy and filled with love.  

*I didn't get any photos, but I did snag some from Audrey*

Off to Jenni and Dustin's.  (Notice my kids do not spend Christmas together.  They DO get together through the holidays, just not Christmas day.  They each wish to spend Christmas day in their own homes letting their kids run around and play with all their new toys and gizmos and gadgets while preparing their own favorite meals.  I wonder if a bit of that is on me and their dad, because that is how we always spent Christmas as they were growing up.)

The saddest part of the entire day happened before we arrived.  As kids do, Eden, Ila and James had a pact.  They all sleep together Christmas Eve and whoever woke up first would wake the others.  Eden waking up first, woke Ila and James.  James in the dark house and still half asleep could not see any of his presents.  He ran in to wake Jenni and Dustin saying he must be on the "naughty" list.  Poor baby.  He was quite relieved when Jenni took him back into the living room and showed him his stash.

Jenni's house looked like Christmas too! Toys and remnants of wrappings everywhere.  Organized chaos as each kid had claimed their own portion of the room.

We put together Legos.  We watched Ila do back handsprings on the trampoline, and then she discovered she didn't need her hands at all.  She had mastered the back flip.  Onto the forward flip.  Grandpa Mark stayed outside with her for quite a while observing all this and they became besties.  When it was time to eat, Ila didn't care where she sat as long as it was by Grandpa Mark because they had to talk strategy.  

We drank Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve and Basil Hayden.  Working at the liquor store it's nice to taste and know all the differences for when people ask.  Unfortunately now I can't remember all those differences.  (OK, I am joking.  Kind of.)

Time to eat.  Thank you, Dustin!

If you remember I had made an apple pie.  Dustin decided to add bourbon to it and torch it.  I must say, definitely was a great idea.  *I don't have a photo, but Jenni took a video*

I didn't take pictures of the day, but I snagged a few from Jenni:

If you noticed my mom was nowhere to be seen.  Because of the freezing temperatures mid-week and then because of issues with her blood pressure later in the week, she didn't feel comfortable traveling.  We would have gone and picked her up, but she wanted to stay in her own home.  I absolutely understand.  I told her I was sorry she had to be alone on Christmas, and she replied, "I'm not alone.  Jesus is here."

She told me to go, have fun and take lots of pictures.  I did the first two.  But having so much fun, I took almost no pictures.  

Every year I ask Jenni to play "Do You Hear What I Hear".  Today it dawned on me that I completely forgot to make that request.  I was disappointed in myself.  I did not go without piano music however.  Ila played "Ode to Joy" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" for me.  Ah, the next generation.

Ok, I know it's long. It's for your enjoyment, but also for my memories.  I'm getting older now and as my memory fades, I will need all this to remember the magic of Christmas 2022.

I hope you all felt the magic of Jesus as we celebrated his coming to us for us!!

Mom's Trip to Bountiful .... yet another side note

 I asked what people were thankful for this year.  Here is Mom's answer:

I failed to add this but I should have also said: I LOVED that Jenni and Dustin brought Eden, Ila and James. My family, both before and after and extended, are so vitally important to me that I pray my grandchildren will teach their little ones how important family is, to try to stay as connected as possible and to ALWAYS be proud of their heritage. God placed us where, when and with whom He wanted us to be and as my sister, June, always said: “We all do the best we can under the circumstances”.

I am thankful for Lisa and Mark taking me on my Trip to Bountiful and everyone who joined us on our adventures. I got to return to my roots. To the towns, school, cemeteries and the little church where I went to Church, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Christmas programs. One year Karin and I sang a duet with me accompanying on the ukulele. I’m sure that everyone was enthralled! Too bad there’s not a video of it!

All these things I remember fondly and every day I give thanks to God for having me born into my family and all the ancestors who came before them. These are the people who made me who I am today. They gave me my identity, security, the German work ethic, loyalty, imagination, love of all good things - books, music, the arts, knowledge, body posture, education, my German Lutheran Faith and especially Jesus - who holds all the above together. Jesus has always been important in my life but as I’m reaching the end of mine I have the confidence of knowing when I leave my family on this side I will be joining all my family on the other side who led the way for me. I will spend Eternity in Heaven where there is no more “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in the mansion Jesus has prepared for me.

Mom's Trip to Bountiful ... part 3

 Ok... so when last we posted, we had just said our good-byes to Becky and Sherry at the grave site of our grandparents.  

Then we all headed back to the airbnb in Iowa Falls.

Mom wanted to see Iowa Falls as she had lived there briefly with her dad, stepmother and sister, Karin when she was a young teen.  It is also the last place my grandmother lived in Iowa... before she got moved to hell.  (I mean Texas.  But once in Texas, my grandmother forever missed her beloved Iowa and was convinced she was now living in hell.) Iowa Falls means a great deal to me as well.  As an adult I too visited my grandmother in Iowa Falls.  Probably one of my last visits to Iowa until this year.  I remember having such a sweet visit with my grandmother.  Going out to a little cafe for pie.  Sitting and visiting and spending time together.  I also remember the sad little room she lived in at the hotel, and how she would carefully place about 20 or 30 pieces of scotch tape on the door when leaving her residence and how she would carefully examine each piece of tape upon returning.  For those following who do not know, my grandmother suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.  Life for her was not easy.  Life with her was not always easy either.  On this trip she gave me one of those cheap plastic pitchers banks would often give out during the holidays to their customers.  I still have my pitcher.  It brings back happy memories of that trip to Iowa Falls to visit my real Iowa Grandma.  (That is how she would sign all her cards and letters to me so that I would know SHE was my real grandma and not that hussy who later married my grandfather; the hussy was an imposter!)

My mom also wanted to drive around Hampton, which is close to Iowa Falls.  If you haven't noticed, my mom got moved around a LOT as a kid.  She was shuffled between family members and even those family members would often move.  Moving around so much can be traumatic for some people, especially when they are young and have no control over the situation or the houses into which they will be placed.  Some moves were hard, but some moves were wonderful.  The move to Hampton was a good move for my mom, and these were some of the "fun" memories from her youth.

We decided everyone did not necessarily need to drive around Iowa Falls and Hampton, so we left the younger kids behind with Mark and Dustin while we set out...

In our vehicle were mom, me, Jenni, Eden and Danny with Janelle behind the wheel.

We drove around Hampton checking out the town, and we looked for the old high school.  It was not to be found and we decided it must have been torn down like so many other older buildings.

Then mom was determined to find the house she had lived in.  She remembered that it was one block from the courthouse, and from her closet window, which sat in the upstairs back of the house, she had a great and unobstructed view of the courthouse.  She would often look out that window to see if anything was happening in the town square.  If people were gathering about, mom would run over to the courthouse and join in on the fun.

The problem we faced was, while mom knew the house was one block off the courthouse, she had no idea if it was to the north, south, east or west.

We drove each of those directions.  No house seemed right.  We drove those blocks again.  No house seemed right.  We kept circling those blocks.  No house seemed right.

This was how much of our conversation went as we drove around and around the courthouse and those blocks:

Mom:  That house looks right!

Us:  The back of that house isn't facing the courthouse.

Mom:  Oh, yeah.  You're right.

Us:  Are you SURE the window was in the BACK of the house?  Not on the side?

Mom: No, not on the side.  I clearly remember my room was in the back of the house with my closet being in the back.  The window WAS IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE FACING THE COURTHOUSE. (Mom was adamant and determined that window was in the BACK!)

Us:  OK, let's keep looking.

Danny:  We've been down this street.

Janelle:  It's OK.  We have time, and this is what we came to do.  We can drive this street again.

Danny:  We've already circled this block.

Janelle:  It's fine.  We can circle it again.  Aunt Jan wants to find her house.  This is what we came for.

Mom:  Oooh, that one looks right.

Us:  The back of that one is not facing the courthouse.

Mom:  Oh.  Right.

Repeat.

And repeat.

This went on for a while.  It actually became funny and we really were all trying to help her find THE HOUSE, and we all wanted her to find THE HOUSE, but, alas, we never did.  

There was one block that had a parking lot with an empty lot next to it.  We finally decided since none of the houses we found were right, perhaps mom's house had been where the empty lot or parking lot were now. The location and view seemed to fit.

**sidenote** After the fact.  As we were driving home.  When we were not only not in Hampton anymore, we were not even in Iowa anymore, I said to mom, "I know you don't remember your address in Hampton, but we should have paid more attention to the street names.  Maybe one of the names would have jogged your memory." To which my mom said, and I kid you not, "You know I was thinking about that again.  I think maybe the window was on the side of the house and not in the back!" What!? Seriously!?  "But", said I, "you were so adamant it was in the back."  "Yeah", said she, "I was."  Le sigh **

When we finally gave up the search, we stopped in at the cutest little coffee shop and book store. Eden was in heaven.  We adults sat and chatted with our coffees, while Eden went and scoped out the books.

Coffee Attic and Book Cellar

**sidenote** Eden is truly a sweet, sweet girl who often puts the needs of others before herself.  Eden and Jenni were going to share a strawberry shake, but it was me and Eden who were doing the ordering.  The woman asked if Eden wanted whipped topping on her shake, and Eden replied, "Mommy doesn't like whipped topping, so no."  I asked, "but do YOU like whipped topping?"  She said she did.  Thankfully the woman behind the counter heard all this, and she split the shake in two.  Jenni's sans topping;  Eden's with.  But just the fact that Eden was thinking more of her mommy than herself touched my heart.   Oh, and for all those wondering why I was drinking coffee in a cute coffee shop when I say over and over how I do not like coffee, I got a pumpkin pecan caramel latte, believe me when I say I did not taste any coffee!!  😎😄 **

Time to check back in with the little ones and the guys.  What were they doing whilst we were gone all afternoon?  They had built a fire and the guys were drinking whiskey while the little ones were roasting marshmallows and making smores.  They were not missing us at all.

That evening we went to eat at the Princess Grill and Pizzeria.  A quaint and friendly restaurant with the largest soda fountain remaining in the country.  We enjoyed a delicious meal.  We had the adults at one table, and the kids at another.  That didn't last too long.  None of his sisters would help little James figure out the puzzles on his placemat, so Danny told James to come sit with him, and Danny took James under his wing.  James was thrilled!

Princess Grill

After dinner mom, Danny and Janelle headed back to Boone and their Adequate 8.  The rest of us back to the airbnb where the fire, marshmallows and whiskey continued into the night.

Oh yeah, and something about the Astros taking the World Series that night too.....

**sidenote** I asked my mom to read over this blog post before I shared it with everyone.  What follows are her notes to me **

And about Hampton. While we were there I was thinking I came in the front door and went straight up the stairs. And that was totally wrong. I came in the front door into the living room and at the back of the living room there was this beautiful wooden staircase that went from left to right. When I ran up the stairs I ran straight into my room. My closet was to the right with the window not on the back of the house but on the side very close to the front. So see, now that I have it all figured out we have to take the trip all over again........

Iowa Falls. I never lived there with mother. Karin and I lived briefly in Iowa Falls with Dad and Grace. In my 9th grade I moved from Perryville to Boone to Iowa Falls. Karin disappeared in Iowa Falls. Then dad and Grace and I moved to Hampton for my 10th grade then to Boone for 11th and 12th. And I'm not even sure about the 11th - I have no memories of that year!

Mom's Trip to Bountiful ... another side note

Maybe a few of y'all noticed I dropped off the blog world for a while and left everyone wondering what else happened in Iowa. 

I got sick.

Upon arriving back in Texas, Mark and I immediately caught the flu, and we did not give two hooies about anything other than sleeping and attempting to feel better.  

The flu completely kicked my butt, and it took a while, but we're back!!

Get ready to go back to Iowa as I will soon attempt to finish a recap of our trip back to Iowa with mom.

Anyone wondering why we keep referring to it as "Mom's Trip to Bountiful":  that title comes from an old Geraldine Page movie where the main character wants to travel back to her childhood home one last time before she dies.

It seems appropriate.

The Trip to Bountiful