I adore Christmas. It is the one holiday that if we do not spend it with family and are on our own...I become quite depressed. Growing up, the Christmas season in my family was all about amazing music, wonderful food, delicious desserts (and cheese dips), spending time with friends who had become family, watching the "traditional" movies (like "The Bishop's Wife") and lots and lots of laughter and love. And some years...there was even the added treat of having family from the midwest visit us!
So, I decided to re-visit the Christmases that Dave and I have spent together in our marriage....and un-like Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol", the Ghost of Christmas Past conjured up some wonderful memories!!
2002
Our first Christmas as a married couple! I remember I pulled out the wedding china and made my one go-to dish (Apricot Chicken) for a Christmas Eve dinner in our tiny apartment in Flagstaff. On Christmas morning, we traveled down to Mesa where we spent the day with my family and friends who have become family. Any event with these people is a rip-roaring time but Christmas Day...and the traditional Mexican fiesta (though no one has 1 drop of hispanic blood in them! :) ) is even more joyful!
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| "Feliz Navidad!" (One of my favorite pictures!) |
2003
By Christmas of 2003, we were residents of Idaho and were terribly homesick. We had just been to CA for Thanksgiving and a trip home to AZ was not possible....not that anyone would have been there, for my family was meeting my Aunt Weezie and Uncle Joe in our Crystal River Valley for an insanely special Christmas and dream come true. But...Santa worked his magic and we found ourselves celebrating the holiday with all of them in Colorado! It snowed, it was cold, we went to church where a huge window overlooked the beautiful Sopris Mountain, we took a fairytale sleigh ride...it was all so perfect...and we were all together in our favorite spot on earth!!!!
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| "Let's go for a sleigh ride!" |
2004
I realize that when you don't live close to family, there are going to be some years where it is just not possible to be together for holidays. :( 2004 was just that year. It was our first year in our house, we had just added Rusty to our family.....and....not only had we just been in AZ in November for the NASCAR race with my family....but, because of INSANE fog in Boise, we found ourselves stuck in AZ for an extra (and unplanned for) 5 days!!!! Going home for Christmas just wasn't going to happen. :(
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| "Have a holly, jolly Christmas..." |
2005
While it was a blessing to spend the previous Christmas with Dave....I was not keen on it being just the two of us again in 2005. We were fortunate to find ourselves back in AZ where the holiday seemed even more joyous given our absence from the year before!
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| "Christmas Time is Here..." |
2006
Christmas of 2006 found me worried that we would be alone. We were now living in Williamsburg, VA....across the continent from our families. We had swallowed the expense of moving...and then enjoyed two weeks in Europe. Going home wasn't an option. Santa again worked his magic and not only did my family come out to Williamsburg....but it is one of the only times in my life where my dad has missed Christmas Eve services at their church. (Being a church musician...being a church choir director...you just do NOT miss Christmas or Easter!) It was a wonderful holiday full of Colonial charm and freezing trips to Jamestown and Irish Car Bombs (a drink) and tons of yummy food!!!
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| "Joy to the World, the Lord is come" |
2007
In looking back, there seems to be a pattern: 1 year with us (wherever we happen to be living at the time)...the next year in AZ. My parents and my sister are VERY lucky. They were and are teachers so they had a full 2 weeks off around Christmas and New Years. I was lucky this year in that with the days off my job was giving us for the holidays...I only had to take 2 days of vacation...and I was off of work (weekends included) for 11 days. It was fantastic! So...we traveled home to AZ and had an amazing time.
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| "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" |
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| "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" |
2008
2008 found the Harris/Pedersen clan celebrating in VA....Richmond, VA. Taking a trick from our book...my family arrived on Christmas Day so my dad could do his Christmas Eve services at their church. Growing up, my sister and I were adamant about our "Christmas Traditions" and were extremely un-flexible and rigid that everything had to be just so. There was one year where the topic of when to open presents (we ALWAYS opened them Christmas Eve but mom and dad were suggesting Christmas Day to give us more time as things were always a bit rushed due to dad's church schedule) resulted in a heated debate with my sister and I arguing our side till we were blue in the face...trying to filibuster the adults...especially my Uncle Joe who kept yelling "Call the Vote, Call the Vote!" The vote was finally called and....to our surprise...our aunt and uncle sided with Julie and I and our interests won and we opened presents that night!!! A glorious moment and a delightful memory!!!
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| "Have yourself a Merry little Christmas" |
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| "Make we joy, now in this fest..." |
2009
We have been lucky. In our 9 years of marriage, we have only spent Christmas on our own twice. 2009 was the 2nd time. My parents were disappointed. I mean, they had just been to VA the year before...if the pattern continued...it was our turn to come to AZ. My sister, however, understood. Unbeknownst to my parents at the time, Julie and I were planning a HUGE surprise weekend for them in honor of their retiring in May. With that on the horizon, it just wasn't possible for us to go home to AZ for Christmas. So we made due...and had a blessed and joyful Christmas in VA.
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| "I'll be Home for Christmas, if only in my dreams" |
2010
There were so many things to be joyful about in 2010! Dave and I had just been to Arizona at the beginning of December to see the King Singer's in concert, celebrate my dad's birthday, and attend a Sonoran Desert Chorale Concert. I was pregnant and everything with the baby was on track and healthy! My family made the trek across the country to spend the holiday with us! And....they were treated to a White Christmas!!! In fact, I was concerned that they wouldn't get into town with the amount of snow we were slated to get Christmas Day. They got in just hours before the snow started and we had a wonderful visit with them!!!!
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| "Oh but it's cold outside!" |
And now the Ghost of Christmas Past has departed and we are anxiously awaiting the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmases to Come....as from here on, our holiday will be even more joyful and blessed and full of memories as we re-discover Christmas through the eyes of Jeffery!
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| "Santa Claus is coming to town" |
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