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Merry Christmas!

Today is the 25th Day of Christmas and the 25th Christmas memory.

Looking back at what I shared it seems that it is not the usual Christmases where everything goes as planned that are the memorable ones, it is the years when things go off schedule that stand out. It seems the more off schedule, the more memorable.

I had several stories I had planned to share on Christmas day, but events have conspired against me and so they will have to wait until next year. When I wrote my Christmas Eve entry I was still at work and planning on leaving shortly. I needed to stop and get gas on the way home; I was planning on running by the dollar store for gift bags, then picking up the boys from their grandparents and bringing them home to get them ready for church.

Except that church services were canceled because of the weather. Then it took me almost two and a half hours to get to my in-laws from my office, and that is without stopping for gift bags. By the time I made it to their house to collect the boys it was 4pm and we knew Kat was snowed in at her office, and unless some Christmas miracle snow plow showed up she was likely to be spending the night there. According to her the parking lot was snowed in and not only could cars not leave the capital, they could not make their way down Lincoln or up 23rd so her leaving on foot and me picking her up was not a viable option either.

Luckily, her office is warm, she was not alone, there was plenty of food, and she was safe. I brought the boys home to our house, and got the car stuck in the driveway. Two and a half hours in the snow and traffic with no problems, but I manage to get my car stuck in my own driveway? The boys watched Christmas movies and wrapped the last of their presents. For dinner instead of our Christmas enchiladas I made tri-colored pasta with the leftover feta artichoke and red pepper dip from our party, (take that food TV!). Paul drank almost half a gallon of eggnog (although I did catch him letting Eko have some too, who knew cats liked eggnog?). Matthew warmed up two different mugs of apple cider for himself. He spilled the first one, and then did not drink the second one, but that is ok too. For dessert they made themselves snow-ice-cream. Well, that is what they called it. Snow with lots of sugar is a better name for it.

The boys were not pleased that Kat was not here tonight, but we are all very grateful that Kat is someplace warm and safe, and not trapped in her car somewhere, or stuck someplace with strangers. My last report from her was that she and her office mates were watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” on TV in the conference room and sharing a meal cobbled together of leftovers from the fridge and staples that everyone has at their desks. For dessert there was still Granfa Owin’s fudge on hand.

I am sure that some families would have taken this turn events some other way. For the last week I have had this running joke that anytime someone does or says something I do not like I say “Thanks for RUINING Christmas! That expression would almost seem to apply to the events of Christmas Eve, except that it does not. Sure, we wanted to be together and to go to Christmas Eve service and eat enchiladas, but there is always tomorrow for that. Nothing is ruined, just slightly postponed. So for now, I am happy and content that my family is safe and sound and warm on this snowy Christmas morning.