I Miss

family and friends- old, new, alive, gone.  If I heard Green Sleeves right now I may start crying and never stop. I love being around my family on holidays.  It's hard with everyone scattered across the US.  So, in the Beaver Lodge we have many family traditions.

We've been using Elf On The Shelf this month.  Our elf is McGinty and he's a pistol.  James has reprimanded him many  times for putting his undies on the tree or making flour angels on the kitchen floor.  Elfkins (Santa's helper) has been trying to take James to the North Pole the past few nights.  James finds notes telling him they had to turn around because he wasn't listening.  He finally pulled off a real visit last night.  James came back with a light wand that most street performers would love.  Elfkins sprinkles James with Forget Frost, so there are no memories.  There have been several written requests from James to lose the Forget Frost, but Elfkins is hardheaded.  With Elfkin's visit and James having lost a tooth the night before, it made for an interesting early morning.

Today James and I made a birthday cake for Jesus-  it started as a tradition 4 years ago with our cousin "Charley" and every year, James and I whip out the old Christmas Tree pan and get mixing.  This year's cake did not turn out.  We have high hopes that it will miraculously drop out of the pan (If the sides weren't burnt to a crisp, this may be possible). James and I left dad in charge while we finished up the final touches on Grandma/pa Farm's gift.  Oh well, we may have to improvise with a Charlie Brown Tree this year. 

We also make Santa's Cookies on Christmas Eve- oatmeal cranberry.   We have had the same Christmas Eve menu: cookies, overnight french toast, crockpot beef and these Doritos my mom used to make.  We play boardgames, watch movies read books and snoop under the tree- Oops. We also check Santa's progress all day long.  In the afternoon we go bowling.and then to 4pm mass. 

God isn't like Santa Claus.  He doesn't pop in and deliver everything we ask for in nice neat packages.  That's not how my God works anyway.  Really our Christmas traditions revolve around the 4 of us- family.  The thing I am most thankful for.  The only thing on my wish list this year.

Then on Sunday Morning, we will celebrate the wonders of being young and leave to go up to the farm so that I can have a little bit more of what I love the most.