Most Unusual Christmas. . .Ever!

Well, I have to admit that this Christmas certainly wasn't THE perfect Christmas. It's so easy for me to get into that "mode"--you know--everything has to be just right. This Christmas wouldn't have been MY choice of turnouts. . .but then again, it was perfect in it's own right. I had a good life lesson on "perspective!"

We had a fabulous Christmas at my folks' last weekend. I am SO glad that we planned to do it early!! As it turned out, the weather this week would have been issue for some of our family, and illness, another. Thankfully, I had finished up gifts, wrapping, baking, and cards last week. So Christmas week we were just down to relaxing and partying. . .HMMM. Monday started out with a sick D, who, I wasn't sure wasn't just mostly tired from too much cousin time at Grandma's. However, around 6 that evening, I started to believe that maybe he had been under the weather. J and I went to the hospital Christmas party that night, which was my first and last Christmas party of the season. We had an enjoyable time and didn't even bring home bad stuff from the "dirty" Santa gift exchange that we always play. (Not dirty as in DIRTY--for those of you who might have been wondering--it was a COMPANY party :-) The big boys enjoyed their school dance that night too--and their "girlfriends" LOVED the gifts that they picked out for them (and purchased with their own hard-earned money)

Tuesday found me in bed with a horrible headache, fatigue and body aches. Cami enjoyed a lot of Dora that day. The school called that morning to report that D had experienced a nose bleed that freaked them all out. . . evidently one of the para's that wasn't supposed to be there, heard him crying from the bathroom and helped him out--poor guy couldn't see in the dark to find his teacher. They got the bleeding stopped finally and found him a shirt! Later that day, I managed to sanitize myself and led the 4-H kids in their caroling party--we rode on the back of J's flat trailer and caroled around town--it was only 27 degrees--I know--I'm an idiot. I was a total goner after that. I went to bed at 6:30 that night with my coat on and my electric mattress pad turned up to 9 (out of 10). And there I stayed. I watched half of my outdoor lights come flying off my roof in the hurricane force western Kansas wind--and I didn't even CARE!! I'm sure it was influenza (I NEVER get sick--EVER--and NO I didn't take the flu shot--either of them). I was able to be upright by later in the day Christmas eve--even if only to straighten out my back from the bed. C and I sent the guys to the Christmas Eve service at church--and I put on a mask and went to work (I thought I was safe enough to take my call that night--it is Christmas after-all--Sick or not, the show must go on!)

I found it hard to sleep Christmas eve--excitement, headache, too much sleep already? Probably slept around midnight, and then woke up drenched in a sweat around 1:15 with a pain in my head so severe that I was sure I was on my way out! I couldn't open my eyes but had very vivid red and green flashing lights--like a strobe light in my head. After about 10 minutes of this, I decided that I was probably going to live, so I groped for the ibuprofen in the dark and stumbled for some water. Phone call at 5:30 needing me at work. Head still hurt!

The unusual starts in that I am NEVER awake before the kids on Christmas morning--EVER. It was too late to go back to bed and snooze before they woke up, so I decided to make some coffee to see if that would fix the headache that seemed barely touched by the medicine (after all, I hadn't had a single cup for days--maybe that was my problem). So, I got the opportunity to give thanks to God for the day and the Son's birth over a cup of coffee in my quiet house looking at the beautiful Christmas tree lights. I love my Christmas tree.

Not long after that, found Jeremy and Cami waking everyone else up by shouting "Holy cow (PG version), Dev, get down here right now, you are NOT going to believe this." The gifts, truly weren't that great, but the statement worked and it sounded like they were pinballs bouncing as they scrambled to get downstairs. Everyone was happy with what they had given and recieved. (except J wasn't too impressed with the million piece set of Legos that Santa had delivered to Dev--because I didn't feel well enough to help him work on it and he got the opportunity to do it! And I probably won't be impressed with it next week when I start stepping on the "lost" ones in the middle of the night) I bundled them all up and sent them to Granny's down the road for Christmas and I went back to bed. J brought me lunch and presents back and when he woke me up, the headache was GONE!! Yeah.

(note to Cami was found in her present from Santa--below picture is what she found there!)

The kids were having a ball and he left me to go back for the afternoon. Called my mom to see what they were up to. She had eaten pretzels and pepsi for lunch and was wondering what else she could eat that started with the letter P. She swore she was NOT watching Sesame street. . but I'm not so sure. After we hung up, I started trying to clean some of my house--only touched by little hands for about a week!! OOOHHH YUUUUCKKK!! J got me a beautiful standing mirror that opens up into a jewelry case. My top dresser drawer was starting to become one big muddled mess of costume jewelry so I enjoyed putting it all away, and using that drawer to hold other clothes.

So in essence, my favorite day of the year was spent by not getting dressed, listening to my favorite Christmas music BLARING on my CD player, cleaning parts of my house and rearranging my underwear drawer--all by myself!! Pathetic?? I don't think so. Disappointing? Maybe a little, in that it wasn't the Christmas I had planned. You remember, the picture-perfect postcard one. But it was a refreshing reminder to me that my heart is good. I didn't feel sorry for myself--I felt blessed that although I hadn't accomplished everything I wanted to, it was enough. That my kids didn't get everything they asked for, but all was good (and even some forgotten). That even though I was seriously wishing someone would run me over with a big truck, I was probably going to get better--how many people feel as miserable as I did that won't even see the New Year in? That even though I spent my Christmas day alone, I wasn't alone at all.

This truly was the most unusual Christmas week ever, but maybe one of the most special--and probably the best Christmas ever--they just get better every year. Hoping Santa found everyone--but more importantly--hoping JESUS found everyone this Christmas season!!