We didn't tell Logan of our plans because we knew he would be too excited to get much done in
the next nine days. The week slowly dragged by, but the 8th finally arrived. I got Logan up to get his school work done early. Then as his last "assignment" I had him put a paper puzzle together that read: Get your backpack packed. We're going to Canada today. He was quite proud of how quickly he put the puzzle together. Then he stood up to go on to something else. --"Hey, did you read the puzzle?"
--"Sure. What a silly sentence!"
Bern and I laughed. Then we spent the next five minutes trying to convince Logan that it was true; we really were going to Canada. We showed him the packed suitcases. We told him the plan, but it only resulted in fits of tears. This was hardly the reaction for which we had hoped!!
--"Why don't you want to go to Canada?"
--"I don't want to spend 50 hours in the truck!"
Well, I couldn't agree more, so we told him about our plan to fly. Only then did he somewhat reluctantly pack his backpack. Bernard and I were hoping we would get a bit better reaction from the other two when we showed up on G'pa's doorstep.
The night of the 8th found us in the lovely home of Shirley and David Lidbury in Calgary. They were gracious to host us overnight and get us to our departing plane by 7am the next morning. Our anticipation was growing. We would see our family in less than two hours!!!
Richard, Bern's brother, was the only one who knew of our plans. He picked us up at the airport, but not wanting to cast suspicion, he had not rummaged through Grandpa's closet for our coats. Have you ANY idea what -30 C temperatures feel like when your clothes consist of blue jeans, t-shirt, and a bunny hug??!!
We arrived at Grandpa's, walked through the door, and watched Grandpa and Uncle Dave try to process what they saw. It was then that Kresten came around the corner brushing his teeth. He stopped dead in his tracks and said, "What are you guys doing here!" Hmmmmm, two out three reactions were not quite what we had expected. But soon, hugs and explanations were being offered. Logan was so happy to see his big brother. Dad graciously conceded to having us as his guests for a week!! (haha---What other choice did he have??) He was so happy to have us home.Anxious for the third reaction, we had planned to have Ashley drop by G'pa's after school to "call us in Mexico." Right on time, she drove up to the house at 4:00.
As she opened the entry door, there we were, the three of us singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Her reaction was worth the whole trip--She stared at us with eyes as big a saucers, trying to believe what she saw, but realizing it couldn't be!! It took quite a while for her to process the fact that we were there. I now fully understand the meaning of "complete shock". She was paralyzed trying to understand what she saw. Then the tears flowed freely. What a great surprise!!!We had a wonderful week together. We made the conscience
decision to stay at home, spending all of our time with family. Two of the many highlights were the extended family gathering for games, snacks, and some "pick'n n grin'n" and our sharing Christmas as a family around G'pa's tin
y tree.Never has a w
eek flown by so quickly. We got in lots of lov'n and liv'n during that one week. I was reminded again how precious is the gift that God has given us that we call "FAMILY". We are blessed by G'pa's life and wisdom. We marvel over the growth and maturing of our kids, as well as their cousins and chosen mates. We remember the many blessings God has bestowed upon us--the gift of being HIS family, and the privilege of sharing in fleshly family. I pray that you have as wonderful a Christmas as we have had. Yes, the calendar tells me it's Dec 16 today, but my Christmas has come and gone--And what a memorable Christmas it was!!! Happy 2010 to you all as you share this holiday season with family and friends.
