The most wonderful time of the year

It’s definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The storms this past week have left a wonderful snowy landscape to enjoy. We are supposed to get another 8 inches of snow tonight. Yay!! The  festive lights we see at night decorating the homes and businesses are so enjoyable to view as we are driving. The songs of the season are playing everywhere you go it seems.  Many of us are looking forward to traveling this Christmas to spend time with loved ones. It is truly one of my favorite times of the year. It just seems like people are a little kinder and have a more generous spirit. Oh how I wish this attitude could be maintained throughout the year!

It is a time of nostalgia and a lifetime of memories to ponder. I  spent many Christmases in Arizona as I was growing up and it was so different than today with snow everywhere and sub zero temperatures. For the past 21 years I have spent Christmas in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to traveling get up there next week with my husband, daughter and my beloved dog. Two of my other daughter’s are also coming and it will be wonderful family time.

My most memorable trip up north for christmas was the year I had to go to the small County Hospital and have a CT scan on Christmas day! My parents have a beautiful place on a lake. The lake is always frozen and some years it provides great ice skating. All seven of our children were there with us and we decided to play hockey on the lake. I was the goalie since I’m not a great skater. One of my boys crashed into me as he was trying to score and I fell backwards. My head hit the ice first and I passed out. I woke up to my husband gently shaking me. When I opened my eyes he asked me if I knew who he was. What? I told him of course I knew and why was he asking me? I realized I was laying on the ice and my head was just throbbing. He helped me up the hill to the house and we decided that I needed medical attention. My husband, my dad and I drove to the small hospital where I  was shocked to find they could actually do a CT scan. I ended up having a concussion and it was weeks before the pain in my neck and head stopped. I never played hockey again! I decided that being a goalie was not included in my list of talents.

I have many last minute things to do before our trip and a lot of gifts to wrap. As I think about the gifts though, I realize the greatest gift is the time spent with my family. We won’t always be here together on this earth and I so cherish these precious moments God has allowed us to be together.