Disclaimer: Since Blogger is currently not letting me post any pictures because, in my few short months of being on here, it says I have reached my maximum, I will be photo less for a while.
I know that November is over and the 30 days of gratitude, OF COURSE, only takes place in November. Yes, I'm joking, but made ya think anyway. My choice, however is to continue as I think of them to no matter the number. This entry was one of my planned entries anyway and now that it is December, it just fits.
The Bluebird Bus Christmas
First, our family tradition
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve, my mom, dad and my brothers would drive around town looking at the Christmas lights. We would usually also drive up to Tularosa where they did a beautiful, huge luminaria display on the highway through town. We listened to Christmas music on the radio and ohhhed and ahhhhed till bed time.
Christmas Morning
For most of my life, our family Christmas tradition involved not just my immediate family but that of my maternal grandparents as well. We got up Christmas morning and called them to let them know we were up and waiting. They came over and we started opening presents and then my dad cooked a big breakfast for us to all share.
Sometimes, that breakfast included deer steak from the newly finished hunting season, sometimes it was sausage. In later years, it became, "lil smoky sausages" Most of those early years it also included home made biscuits and gravy. ( I loved watching my dad make homemade biscuits they way his mom taught him.). Then when it became time to share this tradition with the next generation, breakfast became pancakes, lil smokeys and fried eggs.
After breakfast we all got in the cars and went to my grandparents house to open their christmas gifts. It was always so exciting to me to see what they got for Christmas as well as my own gifts.
Next Generation:
As in all things, time goes on and as my brothers and I moved out on our own, married and had children somethings changed but one did not, Our Christmas morning just expanded. Now the tradition was that who ever had the youngest child at the time, of present opening and excitement not to be delayed age, got to make the "we are up, ya'll come on over" phone calls. We started at that families house, them made the rounds to each house, up to my grandparents house to open gifts and then went back to my Mom and Dads house for breakfast. The year that each of us had a child of the same age was kinda tricky, but that is a story for another day.
This explaination however, brings us to the YEAR OF THE BLUEBIRD BUS
By way of explaination, we live an area with a heavy military presence and have over the years done a great deal of "civilian contractor" work for that military range, and this was one of those years. Because the sight where my brother was working was about an hour and a half away to even get to and there were a number of other people working in this area, my brother decided to purchase this retired school bus. Yes, it was a bluebird bus but it was actually robins egg blue as well. (I so wish I had pictures.) My brother transported about 15 people back and forth to the jobsite in the bus each day so that they could rest on the way too and from. So, with this at our disposal that year, Christmas went from our normal wonderful pastime, to AWESOME!!!!!
Christmas Eve consisted of my grandparents, my mom, dad, my younger brother, my husband and myself and this brother, Eddie, and his wife and their 18 month old son piling into the bus to drive around the whole county to look at the lights. Since the 18 month old was the only grandchild that year, it was such fun to be able to watch his reactions to the lights sitting there, strapped in to his carseat on the seat behind his daddy, and next to his mommy. It seems like we drove for hours that night until he was fast asleep and we decided it was time to take him home to await the morning.
And morning came. When the call came in that they were awake and it was time to open presents. We each got in our cars and drove to their house, just as normal. However, when presents at that house were opened and properly displayed for all to see, and it was time to move on to the next house, the idea arose, Why drive 4-5 cars from place to place.. when we had......... THE BUS!!!!!! I cannot tell you what a wonderful day we had by being able to literally spend it in each others presence, each and every moment. The laughter, smiles and contentment still shine in my eyes when I think of that Christmas time.
I hope that all will find ways to build relationships through out this holiday season, however you choose to celebrate, or even if you don't celebrate. Use this time to get close to someone and learn about them down to their soul.
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