A Cuppa Christmas Cheer

November and December have blown through our house like a whirlwind - crazy weeks full of Christmas festivities, time with friends, church involvements, and cookie-baking sessions. Consequently, family time has become an endangered species at our home.

So it was wonderful Wednesday evening to finally take our much-anticipated annual trip to see the Christmas light display, set up throughout the park in a nearby town. Even the drive there was beautiful; we admired house after house adorned with garland, bows, lights and candles. Driving through the park, we ooh-ed and ahh-ed over jumping reindeer, candy canes, stars streaming with light, little Christmas houses, a tunnel of lights, the 12 Days of Christmas, and even a beaver cutting down a tree. The only 2 things that dampened the evening's excitement were 1) the steady rainfall, and 2) Rachel stating flatly on the way there that she's tired of Christmas lights and just needs a break from them. On the way home, though, even she had to admit we'd had fun and that she'd changed her mind.

THE highlight of the evening was getting to sit with Santa - well, at least for Rach and Zekers. For some obscure reason, every one of our darling children, upon seeing Santa "in the flesh" for the first time, has immediately burst into frightened tears. The crazy thing is, our kids aren't afraid of anything else - not of vacuum cleaners or thunderstorms or the dark or large dogs. No, nothing strikes fear into their little hearts like the sight of a jolly old man dressed in red and white. Go figure.

So, what could have been a lovely portrait of our three children with St. Nick instead became a snapshot of Santa awkwardly holding a screaming, wriggling Kari Bou while the other 2 looked on. After the picture, I relieved him of Little Bou, and Zekers actually got to sit on Santa's lap and share with Santa his lifelong wish to own a dog.

We had hot chocolate, candy canes and cookies in the "Christmas Cabin", which all three of them enjoyed immensely, although poor Zekers has never encountered a cup of . .. well, anything, that didn't end up all over the lower half of his face. I'm so afraid his future wife will be forced to carry wet wipes in her purse to clean him off after every meal out.

My favorite part of the evening was the drive home - Danny & I just sitting in the front seat, smiling at the little conversations and songs going on behind us and talking about nothing in particular; relaxing and enjoying each other's company. Reflecting on the little baby sent to offer us life through his death - God in the flesh. I hope that in coming years, admid the shopping and decorating and lights and festivities of the holidays, that we can somehow instill in our children the wonder of the miracle of Christmas. And I pray that your Christmas is filled with wonder and awe at the greatest gift of all time.

Merry Christmas!