Christmas Eve

It was midnight on Christmas Eve, and I had been awake for hours cleaning the kitchen alone, scrubbing dishes, sewing the last of the Christmas gifts, and placing presents under the tree. One would think I'd be exhausted and angry, working alone in the kitchen. But I wasn't. I was filled with joy and gratitude.

Earlier that week, I had been struck with a terrible illness that ravaged my strength. I was essentially a prisoner in my own bed, since the high fevers sapped my energy and left me exhausted. It hurt to move any muscles, and my body ached nonstop. After two days trapped in bed, I was ecstatic to be feeling well enough to do something, anything. I felt it was a precious gift to be healthy enough to work again, and returned to life's daily demands with eagerness. Nathan had been taking care of the children,meals, cleanup, family routines, etc by himself for days, and I was so grateful for his attentive care while I was ill.

We seized the day and made a family field trip we had intended to do for some time. In Austin the eclectic culture is fascinating and fun. It's an Austin tradition to decorate random trees along the roadsides, so it's not unusual to see bright and happy colors at any given point in the county. But the festive spirit gets particularly thick along the 360 Highway that cuts through Austin. Instead of one or two decorated trees, it appears that every tree is dressed for the holidays for miles and miles. It's a forest of Christmas trees.

It was so delightful to drive along this road and enjoy the decorations! The trees are decorated not just along the road, even trees mounting the hillsides are blessed with careful attention. It's so fun to walk through the area and admire each tree up close.

It was common to discover stray ornaments that had fallen off trees during storms, and the children enjoyed hunting for and re-hanging these runaway bits. 

  

Oh man, am I lucky to be married to this man! I adore him!

This smiley-face tree was one of the boys' favorites. So fun. 

Even the teensiest bits of tree weren't overlooked. There were a few tiny trees only 6 inches tall, and they were each graced with festive decor as well. 

Some trees had a message or theme. Different clubs would decorate a tree to fit with the artists' hobby. We found a tree prominantly displaying a "Will you marry me?" sign. Such fun. We let the little boys take pictures with their favorite trees. 

After we returned home, we played family games and enjoyed a 'dinner' of finger foods such as Tex-Mex queso with chips, lil' smokies in BBQ sauce, festive cheeses and fruits. Our "Christmas Feast" had been enjoyed earlier in the week on Sunday:

Nathan was feeling quite ill, and went to bed quite early at 5:00, so we did our Christmas Eve traditions slightly differently this year. We read the Christmas Story from Luke together and tucked everyone in bed. While the boys cuddled in their triple bunk bed, I read them a tall stack of our favorite Christmas stories. I love the sentimental Christmas stories recounting true experiences of past years. I never can read "A Christmas Dress for Ellen" without tearing up. We also love "The Carpenter's Gift" and "The Christmas Oranges". Love, love, love these stories of humanity reaching out and lifting each other up. 

I kissed them all goodnight, then finished the preparations for the night. Nathan had a raging fever causing him fitful sleep, so I quietly flitted about the house finishing everything (and feeling SO thankful that I was  healthy again and could do this!). I had fallen far behind on my 'to-do' list when I was sick, so I whipped out the sewing machine and spent a couple of hours finishing the homemade gifts we had planned (bow ties for the boys, a needle book for Sarah, reading pillows for everyone, and car organizers for everyone {since we were leaving on a cross-country road trip the next day, and because we spend over 7 hours each week in our car commuting for school and church}). 

I enjoyed working in the dark, quiet house with just Christmas lights and sacred Christmas music for company. It was such fun laying out each person's gifts and stockings. The anticipation was thrilling, waiting to see the eager faces morning would bring. I felt deep gratitude for our Lord and the generous blessings He has poured on our family this year. I pondered the gift of our Savior's birth, teachings, and sacrifice and felt renewed hope and joy. It was a deliciously peaceful night, and when I looked out our parlor windows into the night sky, the stars were brilliant and breathtaking. (I can't say enough how much I LOVE the night sky here in the middle of nowhere.)  This quote came to my mind, by one of my favorite Apostles, Elder Neal A Maxwell:

The same God that placed that star in a precise orbit millennia before it appeared over Bethlehem in celebration of the birth of the Babe has given at least equal attention to placement of each of us in precise human orbits so that we may, if we will, illuminate the landscape of our individual lives, so that our light may not only lead others but warm them as well.