Reflections in the Ornament (Christmas 2008)

I’ve always believed that Christmas is more than what happens on the 25th of December. Christmas is truly a season. A season that begins with Thanksgiving and ends with the transition into a new year, and along the way we have a birthday party for Jesus. Seems to me like a good way to end the year.

Alan and I have talked a lot this year about family traditions. What our families did when we were growing up and what we want to do with our children. It seems that every year we change things up a little, so this year I asked him why 10 years into our marriage we are still trying to establish our traditions. Alan chuckled and said probably because we keep adding children to our family.

There are some things to me that define Christmas like decorating the house, the smell of fresh pine (even if it’s from a candle), Christmas cookies, pecan pie, finding that special gift for each person on your list, and discovering the secrets buried deep in a stuffed stocking. I have favorite growing-up memories of Christmas like hanging ornaments on the tree, making cookies with Mom, the lighting of candles at a Christmas Eve church service, caroling with my friends, a visit with Santa, and driving through neighborhoods to see Christmas lights.

Living in small town South Dakota during Christmas is fun. Not only can we walk down the street and hear Christmas music playing on the outside speakers of the local hardware store, we can do so on a snowy evening on our way to the grocery store where we put Zac and Nathan’s letter to Santa in the collection box. The boys received a response from Santa in our mailbox a few weeks before Christmas. This was the first year Zac was brave enough to sit on Santa’s lap, and he did so the night of our town’s Christmas celebration. Santa arrived at the end of the light parade and made his way to City Hall where he happily and patiently listened to every child who would talk to him. Of course because Zac was willing to talk to Santa, Nathan wasn’t about to be left out, so he climbed right up on Santa’s knee. Between the two of them, I think they talked Santa’s ear off. After visiting with the jolly old elf, Zac really got into the swing of Christmas. He wanted to know why we had not decorated yet, so Alan put up a string of lights on our patio railing, and I dug out what decorations I could find quickly and easily. One evening Alan bundled the boys in their snowsuits and took them out on their toboggans to look at the Christmas lights. This year we adopted an elf. He was named Occo, and he reported the boy’s behavior to Santa each night. Every morning the boys scouted around until they found where Occo was perched for the day. On Christmas Eve Occo hitched a ride to the North Pole with Santa where he will stay until the Christmas season starts again. During a few snowy afternoons, Zac and I made Christmas cookies. It’s not an easy task to pull off with a infant that wants to stay attached to me all the time, but at least we made enough cookies to put some out for Santa Christmas Eve. Zac had fun wearing his apron while he helped mix the ingredients, and the boys and I danced to Christmas music in the warm kitchen while the cookies baked.

Alan and I have some traditions of our own. I have a great recipe for egg nog (the real thing with eggs, cream, and brandy topped off with a sprinkle of nutmeg). A few cold December evenings, after the children went to bed, Alan and I sat in the glow of the Christmas lights in the living room with holiday glasses of egg nog and tried to reconnect with each other. Christmas Eve we did what so many parents do, we stayed up late and helped Santa with toy assembly. On Christmas day we unwrapped our presents and the baby’s while the boys napped.

Christmas Day was filled with giggles and laughter over the discovery of toys, plenty of good food, and Christmas music playing on the stereo all day. What I will remember most about this Christmas is the glow of Christmas lights reflecting on my children’s faces, silly boys dancing to “cowboy” Christmas music (as Zac put it) in the kitchen, and a newborn baby in my arms who served as a reminder to everyone in our family of what we celebrate this time of year, the birth of our Savior. Only time will tell what our children will remember most about Christmas. What I hope they keep in their hearts is the joy, peace, and love of the season.