Jingle Bells

Do you hear them?  It's December 4 and it's time to be jolly!  It's time to get into the Spirit.  I haven't done any decorating yet, but I have done a bit of shopping. With the snow and cold weather we have had the past few days, it definitely makes you realize Christmas will be here soon.

The Christmas song " I'll Be Home for Christmas" makes me remember the first Christmas I was not home for the holidays.   Ed and I were just married and we were living in Fort Collins.  Ed was working on his master's degree and we lived in married student housing on campus.  We lived on $300 a month and there wasn't much extra $ to be able to fly home.   Driving home wasn't an option. So we weren't able to be with our family and friends that first Christmas, but we were with them in our hearts.  It was a hard time.  Long distance calls were expensive, there was no email, or any other instant communications.  So we made the best of it and started our own family traditions. My mom sent us a small canned ham in the mail for Christmas dinner!  We have not made that a family tradition!

Now that my own family is grown and out on their own, it makes me wonder what my mom was feeling when we apart during that first holiday.





Fortunately, my family will all be together this holiday.   Kate will be flying in from Florida, and Jessica and Martin, the newly weds, and Elizabeth and Don, will be coming up from Denver.  I will count my blessings having  them all here together one more time for Christmas.  Soon they will be starting their own family traditions. I probably won't send them a canned ham!

Until Next Time-Kyle

The picture of Ed is the only picture we took during that first Christmas and the only Christmas picture we took for many years.  I guess film was expensive too.