This year there will be no Christmas Cards from the Scott Household. It's not that we aren't celebrating Christmas...it's just that this year there are no Christmas decorations, no card, no cookies, no tree. We DO have a small potted pine in the yard with colored lights, but that's it.
Growing up my parents really did Christmas right. A huge tree, all decorated with lights, beautiful glass baubles and loads of tinsel (painstakingly placed strand by strand by my patient Mother. At some point Dad would grab the rest and throw it on the tree, accompanied by much protesting from Mom). The house would glow with decorations, stockings hung, candles, oodles of presents, hundreds of cookies baked. Some years we would make the trip from LA to Redlands to my Aunt Hazel's and Uncle Walts's house for Christmas dinner, some years it would be at our house. Always a huge ham or turkey, special holiday foods, so many fun times with cousins, grand parents and friends. A jigsaw puzzle was set up at our house with conversations weaving through the house. We always looked forward to Uncle Paul and Aunt Lulu's visit....they would bring a 5 lbs. box of See's Candy, a once a year treat. I am so grateful for happy Christmas memories.
We had wonderful Christmas celebrations in Eureka with our daughters as they grew. I loved to decorate the house and made many of the ornaments on the tree. We'd gather and string popcorn and cranberries for garlands and hope the cats wouldn't eat them before Christmas. Bill would put up strings of lights and the house would sparkle. The spicy aroma of special treats baking for gifts and snacking would fill the house. We loved the Christmas Eve services with real candles and carols. Every Christmas morning began with Mr. Scottie Dog reading the Bible account of the birth of Christ. Presets and then peach streusel coffee cake. There were bicycles and dolls and all the trappings. Sometimes we were able to celebrate with extended family but most times it was just the five of us. Celebrating Christmas together was full of wonder and wonderful memories.
Girls grow up, go to school and move away. Christmas was no longer that magical time for little ones and yet, celebrating the birth of Jesus was still a very special time. We spent a couple of Christmas days in Sacramento with Sarah and Liz, Beka joining us when she could. It was eleven years ago that our Sarah unexpectedly passed away just a couple of days before Christmas. Hard to believe she has been gone so long, but close in our hearts and part of our Christmas memories, never to be forgotten.
Miracle of miracles, the very next Christmas we had a grandbaby to love! Followed by five more. We are rich and richer! Sydney (10), Jakob (9), Mercedes (7), Shiloh (5) , Anastacia (4) and Korban (2) are our treasures each Christmas and every day.
And so our journey continues. We are finishing up the remodel on the house in Eureka and hope to have it on the market early January. Bill has worked so very hard on it and it's looking great (and we ask ourselves why we didn't do all this much, much sooner!). I spent about 7 months of this past year living in MN with the girls and doing "Grandma" work. But I'm in Eureka now until we sell the house.
We've had a great year with both Bill and I back and forth between California and Minnesota, celebrated our 43rd Wedding Anniversary, we enjoyed a fabulous cruise together up the Eastern Seaboard, explored NYC together and more. But this year 90% of our household goods are crated up in a warehouse in MN and we are in CA so there are no decorations, no Christmas cards and the like. But Christmas will come anyway.....Jesus is born! A Savior has come!
Blessings to you and yours this holiday season. We love you!
