OUR EARLY CHRISTMAS

Dawson, Carter, Lindsay, Eric, Abbey, Nora, Jamie, Ashley

When we knew that Todd, Kristy and Nora would be spending Christmas in Brooks with her family, we decided to have an early celebration when they were with us at the farm.  We set the weekend of Dec 15-16 back in early November.  But wouldn't you know, both Carter and Dawson found out that they had home hockey tournaments that weekend in Milestone and Lampman.  What to do?  The next weekend wouldn't work out either as Todd's wanted to head back to Brooks on Dec 22.  Well, the problem was resolved as both tournaments ended up being cancelled!

It was a very special weekend.  Laurel, Dawson and Ashley came on Friday in the fog.  Clare, Jodi and Abbey joined us for a pancake brunch on Saturday after taking in two staff parties on Friday evening.  Kirk, Shauna, Carter, Lindsay and Jamie joined us after dinner.  Greg and Eric came after a morning hockey game.   All the families contributed to the supper.  Todd and Kristy prepared a special Norsk Christmas dish of "ribba".  Kristy was disappointed as the pork wasn't the same as what she uses in Norway.  But the rest of us didn't know the difference and we enjoyed it.  They also prepared a side dish of red cabbage that was very good.  Our dessert was my Grandma Erickson's standard dessert at Christmas Eve - "bonda pike".  It's longer name translates as "peasant girl with a veil".  In other words, something plain dressed up.  The dessert is layers of applesauce, whipped cream and graham wafer crumbs.  It should have had a maraschino cherry on top but I was out of those.  Our beverage was punch cubes with seven-up.




After supper the grandchildren headed outside to play in the snow while the adults cleaned up the kitchen and dining area.  Then it was time to open presents.  The eight children had drawn names and they opened those gifts from youngest to oldest.  Then Todd and Kristy had gifts from Norway for them, red jerseys for the girls and red caps for the boys.  Grandma was spoiled too with gifts from each family.

Girls with new jerseys, boys with caps
Dawson, the oldest grandchild, holding Nora, the youngest

A warm winter hat made in Iceland from Nora to Abbey

An evening romp on the snow covered lawn

The "guys" got in a few hands of Rook, then joined the youngsters outside for some energetic games with a football.  We also enjoyed watching some tapes from Christmases past.  When pictures of a baby came on the screen, Ashley was excited to see "baby Nora".  But it wasn't Nora, it was baby Carter who arrived on Boxing Day in 2001. 

I keep a "tickle trunk" so Jamie and Ashley had fun dressing up in clothes from the past.  They love decking themselves out in Grandma's jewelry too.  Ashley's favourite item is the "crown" that I wore for our wedding day.  She pretends that she is a queen and clomps around in Grandma's pointed toe shoes with the narrow heels.

I didn't mention it on yesterday's blog, but Dec. 16 was a special day even before Laurel's arrival on that date.  Howard and I were engaged on that date in 1965, three years prior to Laurel's birth.  I was going to University in Saskatoon and had an English exam scheduled for the next day.  But when our class showed up for the exam in the morning, the professor postponed it as he didn't think we were ready for it!  What are the chances of that happening??  

Yesterday was the 17th, seven months since Howard's passing.  It seems like ages ago, not merely months.  I still find myself sleeping on "my" side of the bed and I never sit at "his" place at the table.  It's good when one of the boys is here to take that place at the table.  Many of his clothes still hang in his half bath closet.  The boys wear his shirts and jackets and I am comfortable with that.  The Christmas lights on the deck railing are red, his favourite colour.  His spirit will always be with us and we have many precious memories to cherish, many of them recorded by video cameras, tapes and numerous pictures.  Life is precious and I am so thankful for the almost 46 years that we shared together.  So many families are missing loved ones this Christmas.  Three young men from the Weyburn and Estevan area were killed in vehicle accidents last weekend.  Then there was the terrible school shooting in the US.  Christ came as a babe in the manger to bring Joy to the world.  That joy is missing in so many lives.  May His presence be with you and yours.