Christmas Time In Alaska

Sigh, Thanksgiving ended and then the race is on :)
day one beg for help to get out the Christmas decorations.
day two no help all promises so go it alone after all time wont stand still and there are wee people waiting to see Christmas unfold.
day three sit for hours and unbox the tree and spread out each branch ( yep you got it its fake )
that same evening still waiting on help it finally arrives and mikes gf and i decorate it totally.
we put it on one of those huge laxy susans and we spin it around while one stands still hanging the lights and later the garlands. Once done we carefully lift it off the lazy susan and place it where we choose it to be centered on a rug so the wee people can lay there and admire it later on. and dream of christmas and all its magic.
Snow has fallen here which makes everything look like were living in a snow globe. its just so magical.
Christmas cards have been created this year on the pc and sent out as jpgs so those far away can print them out and have them faster.
plans have been put in place for the Christmas package for our son in the Navy and all seems to be alot better for us then the past few years gone by.
This year for the first time since 9-11 i am not going through the motions of Christmas staged and masked in fake smiles for anyone or putting on any shows for the wee people so as not to spoil there Christmas wonder. instead for the first time i actually feel like emotionally getting involved in it all. Like Christmas is going to not only arrive but things will be ok.
Even though this is going to be another year with out our son home sharing all the wonder with us.
So far presents have been bought and hidden waiting to either be wrapped or mailed off. when the wee people arent around to catch what is going on.
preperations have been made for all the family things we do each year too. the christmas eve menopoly game will need a new game soon to be boughten and then of course the Santa treats are being added to each shopping trip.
canned oysters
smoked cheeses
canned kippered fish
crackers of various types
salomy
fruits and cookies and drinks of all kinds
each year at Christmas Eve the adults sit and play games with the wee ones until they fall asleep and then sit and play menoply all night lone and munch on the santa treats until there about gone. each person waits until that time and goes off to wrap what they have to and comes back to continue playing until someone wins and then all go to sleep.

there are of course the other things that go one day after day during dec. such as the big ginger bread house challenge that began a few years ago. when we put out the ginger bread kits and challenge the kids to build one ginger bread house out of all kits and see what they come up with . this one was born out of buying only one kit and having them all complain they all wanted one of there own.
the christmas cd must be started with thanksgiving and then continued until jan 1st its when iget out the digital camera and take huge ammounts of pictures and then later put them all on a cd taking some to word and putting in what is going on and sending out that to all far away that wanted to be here but couldnt.
i gathered all the christmas books into one book shelf and added a few new ones this year too so all the family can sit and go through christmas project books when the wee people are out of school for the holidays and have some ideas on what to do to keep them all busy.
also put all the christmas dvds and vidieos in one spot so they can be found fast and played when they want. and of course piled the christmas music in one place so they can be put on when wanted.
its the same thing we do every year with a litttle added here and there. we havent faultered in it even in the past few years when Christmas was just going through the motions and our hearts werent in it. but this year is diffrent its more like it should be for all here.
There are evening sspent by the table with has been displaced by the tree but decked out in a christmas table cloth and sitting near it are brass candle sticks polished to a tee with candles in them and more on a side table . all light up and adding to a cozy atmosphere.
tiny houses grace my window sill andone ornmate hangs from the window top and a white proclen tree graces the rest of the sill.
The font window sports a huge yellow ribbon with three forget me nots on it for each soldier in our family not home this year and not home for along time since 9-11 along with an american flag my grandsons in another state sent me awhile back in the middle hangs one christmas tree wreath ( cant hang it on the door because of the high winds we get here)
lights hang off of it and when we plug it in everyone can see when they walk by the house.
like i said and so it begins. this Christmas season in all its awe and wonder.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE.
IF YOUR SERVING OUR COUNTRY MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU
I DO PRAY THIS YEAR CHRISMAS FINDS YOU ALL MAY THE MIRCAL BEGIN :)))))))))))))