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It often amazes me just how quickly time can pass, especially at Christmastime. This year was no exception. Before I knew it, it was a week before Christmas and I had a huge pile of gifts to finish making. After all that, I decided I’m starting much earlier this year. Like maybe early enough to be done by Thanksgiving. . .I don’t know. I used to be able to do that, but it’s been so long that Stephen was shocked to hear me say I could do it! Hmm – maybe that really should be my goal.
Our Christmas was wonderfully refreshing. We took a trip up to see my family. We did have car adventures while we traveled again. It was so strange. Before we left, Stephen told me that the reservoir was getting low and that we’d have to pick up a jug of antifreeze/coolant on the way. Ok, I can deal with that. So we left after church on Christmas Eve. Just as it was beginning to get dark, the temperature gauge started to act strangely, so we started looking for the nearest off ramp. It came just in time, because by the time we arrived at the gas station there were so many different clunking and knocking noises coming from under the hood I wondered if we’d even make it.
Stephen opened the hood and steam just billowed out. My heart sank. Little man piped up, “HOT! Mommy!” “Mama, water!” He sure was right on that one.
As it turned out, once the radiator cooled down, we were able to add more coolant, and we were on our way. Strangely enough, we didn’t have another problem with it. The only thing we could figure out is that God had some reason for delaying us that extra hour.
After we got back on the road, I sat there looking out the window fighting back tears. It was Christmas Eve, and it seemed like everything was going wrong. The month of December has been difficult, and it seemed like no matter how hard I tried to get into the Christmas spirit, I just couldn’t. All I could see was the negative side of things.
That’s really a lot of the reason that I haven’t been posting a whole lot this month. Who wants to read a blog post if the entire thing is whining and complaining?
So I sat there staring out the window, trying to change my attitude, but failing miserably. That’s when God reminded me of something. He reminded me of that night two thousand years ago, when a young couple had to travel so far just for a census. Mary was not just pregnant – she was very pregnant – and things must have seemed to go all wrong for her too. It must have been hard not to have a bad attitude when all the inns turned her and Joseph away. I wonder if she was in labor when they were going door to door to door. . . things certainly did not go as planned for them, I’m sure. It really put things into perspective for me. I was complaining because of a delay with our van – they didn’t have a car. We are blessed indeed.
The time away is always nice, and this week was no exception. My parents offered to watch Little man for us while we went out to spend some money we received as gifts, and even gave us money to eat out on. That was a real treat.
Little man’s gifts were an interesting mix of things. My grandmother got him a really neat puzzle that has tractors and bulldozers on it – when you complete each machine, it makes that noise. Dad even taught Little man how to say excavator. I still can’t believe he can say that. It comes out, “as-a-bay-ter.” Too sweet. As for the trucks my brothers gave him – well – they just better watch out for the time when they have children, because let me tell you, the revenge will be sweet. Those trucks make a LOT of noise.
More to come in another post – this one is becoming long enough already. . .