Christmas Reflections

Once again, this Christmas season was packed full of things to do. Between balancing work, soccer, family, and friends I felt like I had no time to really sit back and enjoy the Christmas season. Is that what happens as you get older? I miss the wonder and innocence that exists in a child during this wonderful season of our Savior's birth and hope that I recapture that when I have kids and am able to see the world through their eyes. Instead, I am consumed with buying the "right" gift for everyone (I always wander aimlessly from store to store, hoping to be struck by that perfect gift...where I'll see it and just know who it is for), baking cookies, wrapping gifts, helping my dad shop and wrap, and because of all that busyness I lose track of the true reason of celebration. It isn't until I slow down on Christmas Eve that I give myself time to read the Christmas story and just thank God for the wonderful gift he gave to us.

Anyway...aside from my musings, here is how my Christmas played out.

The Eve before the Day
Christmas Eve always consists of doing something with my mom's side of the family, and this year was no different. In the past, Laura and I used to hole ourselves up in the garage playing ping-pong all day, waiting until it was time to get ready for Christmas Eve service. We would create teams and brackets and fight it out in the cold detached garage with a fire blazing in the stove until around 3 or 4. However, we don't have that luxury anymore. This year, I went out to my parent's around 11, finished wrapping gifts with my dad, went on a nice 3 mile walk with my dad and the dogs, while my mom & Laura made various treats for the evening festivities. Then it was off to church at Cascade. The service was short. Full of music, singing, rejoicing, and of course, the children's choir. My favorite. Then Nate, our pastor, gave a brief message. And it had to be brief, as he was holding his 8 month old son on his shoulder the entire time he was preaching. His son, Isaiah, was actually their Christmas gift/miracle. For over 2 and a half years, his family has been praying and waiting and enduring the adoption of their sweet baby boy. 12 days before Christmas, they recieved the call, flew to Korea, and returned with their son. How incredible! It truly gives me goose bumps. God is amazing!

After the service, my family drove to my Auntie B's house in West Seattle and had a great time eating crackers & cheese, pork roast, mashed potatoes, applesauce (homemade & so good!), rolls, and the like. And of course, no holiday feast is complete without wine, champagne, and sparkling cider, which I had plenty of. This year, we donated money to the flood victims in our state and spent less on each other. It's not so much the gifts I care about, but the time spent with my family. Except for our tacky/white elephant gift exchange. That is something I look forward to more than anything! We were diving, clawing, tugging, tossing, and clinging to our gifts. I laughed uproarisouly at everyone's antics and even cried at points from guffawing so hard. In a nutshell, it was everything I could have asked for.

By the time our speeding bullet of a van arrived home, the clock was nearing 12 and Christmas Eve was on the verge of becoming Christmas day. We leaped out, struggled to carry all our gifts inside, and proceeded to read the Night Before Christmas, like always. BUT! This year...Laura emerged triumphantly from the basement with an old, worn film reel of the Night Before Christmas. Thus, we were greeted with a dilemma. Should we watch it now...or in the morning? But in the morning it won't really make sense, as it won't be the eve anymore. In flash we were down the stairs in the basement, setting up the projector, propping ourselves up on pillows and blankets, and settling in for a blast from the past. The film was horrible and corny, with awful effects, as expected. We laughed. We imitated Santa on his sleigh and laughed some more. I'm so glad we opened up that dusty, crackly film canister and enjoyed a remnant from the 1950s. So glad.

The Day that follows the Eve
Christmas day dawned bright and full of promise. Rain fell softly from the gray clouds in the sky and my hopes of a white Christmas faded fast. As is the norm, Laura and I arose around 9 and pounced on our older and much sleepier sister's bed to awaken her from her deep slumber. She roused...slowly. Then it was down the stairs to open gifts with the parents, who were already showered and in their bathrobes. Mom was mixing up hot cocoa for us all and dad was doing whatever he does. We settled in on the couch, packages were distributed, turns were taken, and soon all the pretty wrappings and ribbons glittered softly from the floor. After presents, we enjoyed a quick breakfast of sausage, eggs, and coffee cake. Then we raced out of the house to catch the ferry to Vashon. We paid for our passage only to be stopped by a fierce orange cone at the front of the line. We needed a miracle. No one wanted to wait an hour for the next boat. Then, with just minutes to spare, the cone leaped aside and we were granted the privelege of driving our car on board. Shouts of joy echoed around the car! We made it safely across the great Puget Sound and drove up the precarious driveway to my aunt & uncle's house. As we exited the car, the cold rain slowly began transforming into snow. Could this be a white Christmas after all? Time would tell. Inside the warmth of the house, we drank Tom & Jerry's, shared gifts, laughter, and stories, and even played a few games of pool. After a few hours, their yard looked like this:

Yay for the first white Christmas in a long while! I know it's not much, but to me, it was the best Christmas gift yet!

A Few of my Favorite Things

1. That is probably my favorite song in the Sound of Music. Closely followed by Lizel singing "I am sixteen going on seventeen". I think I liked that song so much when I was younger because she had on a gorgeous, flowing, gauzy dress. And I wanted one just like it. And I wanted to sing and dance in a gazebo. In the rain. To a hot guy. Who in actuality, wasn't that hot. But I was 8. And to me, it was incredibly romantic.


2. Rain. I love walking in it. Running in it. Dancing in it. Falling asleep to it pattering on the rooftops, plip-plopping on the leaves of the surrounding bushes and trees, and splish-splashing into the puddles. Not to mention, I love stomping through the puddles. Yes, even at 24 years old. However, I don't like being freezing cold & wet because of the rain. But playing soccer on a grass field while the rain comes pouring down...I just don't know if there is anything better. Except maybe the bubble bath I take afterwards to warm up. :)


3. Fall days in Seattle. The air is crisp and clear. The leaves are brilliantly colored in deep crimsons, vibrant oranges, and glowing yellows. I get radiantly happy everytime I crush a fallen leaf with the heel of my boot or toe of my Jack Purcell. The crunching sound of the leaf hitting my shoe, letting out it's last final cry of pain, brings me unexplainable pleasure.


4. The smell & sound of old books. The musty scent as I turn each aged and fraying page. The crinkling sound the spine of the book makes as I bend it back and forth. Such a small pleasure, yet leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Even better is when I curl up in an oversized armchair with said book in a cozy, quaint bookstore and read. For hours. With hot cocoa or cider. I'm not a coffee girl. Never have been and I don't see it ever happening in the forseeable future, but I love my warm, coffee-free, beverages.


5. The elderly. I have such a soft spot for them, which is good because I feel like they are often overlooked by today's society, which glorifies the young and selfish and forgets about the old and wizened. I have a secret longing to play a game of chess in the park with an old man...hopefully he'll be wearing knickers and suspenders. Or just one of the two. And preferably this park will be in Germany. I think I got this idea from the Pixar short where the old man is playing a game of chess against himself. Hopefully one day this dream will be realized. ;)


6. Rocking out in the car to Backstreet Boys or Phantom Planet with my younger sister. Belting out the lyrics off key, in various accents (country, russian, valley-girl, deep shouting voices). We're pretty incredible and will think about recording that album someday.


7. Watching the fire in my fireplace as the flames swirl and leap in the air. This could entertain me for hours on end. And sometimes it does. Especially fun to watch on a cold, rainy evening while cuddled up in a warm, fuzzy blanket.

Amazing Grace

I watched the movie "Amazing Grace" last night with my boyfriend and can now see why it is so highly acclaimed. If you haven't seen it yet, run, don't walk, to the video store. This is one you don't want to miss! Such a powerful story...that is actually a true-life event, so calling it a story always seems wrong to me. One thing I hate when discussing the Bible is that we always call them stories, when we are talking about real people and real events.

The passion Wilbur Wilberforce (yes, that is really his name) has is simply inspiring. He shows that one person really can make a difference. And even help to change the world. Just believe in the gifts God has given you and put them into action.

Fall Glamour Shots

This year, for our presents for our parents and grandma, we decided to take some fun fall photos and have them framed. Here are some of the pictures that my cousin, Max (great photographer), took for us at my most favorite park...Lincoln Park in West Seattle:

Selfishly Concerned

I sit here, at work, rain pounding against the windows and splashing into puddles, and all I can think about is "will this torrential downpour & flooding keep me from attending my much anticipated Switchfoot concert??"

I seriously hope not.