Having lived in Texas my whole life till now, Christmas in Harlingen usually consisted of winds out of the south, at least 30 mph, lots of hot temperatures, and never a need for a sweater. Never...well, unless you count the 100 year snow in 2005, but that shouldn't count as it probably will never happen again. Yes, it was fabulous and we loved it and we couldn't believe that it happened on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!! It was almost like a Christmas miracle. We lost electricity Christmas Eve, and didn't have any till 5 p.m. on Christmas Day. Having no electricity was really great...we lit candles and opened gifts by the candlelight. We made snowmen, snow angels and ate leftovers for Christmas dinner. And the kids remember it as being the "best Christmas EVER"!
Here in Juneau, in the winter, it is like Christmas every single day. The entire community puts up lights and let me tell you, that really helps your mood. It is dark here by 4 p.m., and those beautiful Christmas lights warm your heart. Snow and Christmas lights are a grandiose pair! I could easily keep my Christmas decorations up all year, here in Juneau. But I won't, because it probably would get old in the summer, when the sun never really sets.
Having James gone so much has been really hard on us all. We are trying not to whine and pout but we are not doing too well. The kids miss him so much, and I miss just having him right here with me, as he has been for the last 32 years. So when James got home Saturday night, he came home to a rousing hero's welcome. Lots of hugs and kissing and crying and hanging onto each other, blessed to all be together again. Ryan is really missing her daddy, and we blame it all on the pregnancy. James is so happy to be home and he loved the Christmas decorations and the homey feel I tried really hard to impart.
So as the Christmas season continues, we will cherish the times we have together and try not to cry and pout, since Santa Claus is coming to town...ok, that was a little corny, but I am a nerd, underneath all the glitter and sparkle! Merry Christmas, Y'all!
It has been in the thirties here in Sweeny this week at night and even driving to work at 7:00 am. But, it's about time we got some kind of winter. The fall season has been unusually warm. Last week it was 80 degrees. It is beginning to feel a lot more like Christmas now. Love you, Liz and family.
ReplyDeleteConnie