The/Our Christmas Story....2010

Hmmm, I think tonight I will just write for a minute. No pictures. No funny quotes. Just me.
I just read Sam's latest letter for the 3rd time tonight and something is bothering me. He said that on Dec. 24th he called home to tell us when he would be calling home the next day and dad answered his cel phone and we were in a movie. And then he said, "Nice". Well, yes, it is true. We were in a movie on Christmas Eve but it doesn't seem quite fair that he doesn't know the rest of Our Christmas Story, so I will tell you and then copy and paste it into a letter for him as well.....the NICE is in the telling......
NOrmally, I would never feel so inclined to explain myself for going to a movie but for some reason, it just doesn't "sound" right that we were at the movies on Christmas Eve night. Let me explain.....
On Dec. 24th, last Friday, our home was all a bustle getting ready for Christmas Day with yummy foods cooking (well, not really) and the fire place was flickering and all the Christmas lights on my 11 trees were aglow. I was on pins and needles thinking that our missionary Sam would be calling any minute telling us what time he would call us on Christmas Day. My other nephews had already alerted their parents of the time that they could expect the call. Throughout the day, our call never came..... I wrapped up some gifts and then I walked to a few neighbors with some plates of goodies and placed the treats quietly on their porches, not even ringing their bells, after all, it was Christmas Eve and I was sure they were busy. All the while, Sara was busy in her room and Layton was still at work. (Sad how funerals don't recognize holidays.) I kept my cel in my pocket just in case. As I walked by myself in the damp air, I strained to hear the giggles and squeals of my children's voices in years past as we would run from neighbor to neighbor and doorbell ditch after dropping off goodies on their porches. The damp air and gray sky made the deafening silence quite unnerving for what should have been such a beautiful holiday evening. What a trooper Sara was to stay at home with what was left of her family! Brett decided to stay at his home in SLC on Christmas Eve and visit us on Christmas day instead so that left just Sara to entertain us on Christmas Eve. She didn't seem to mind too much. I was so glad she was with us! Our baby, now 20 years old as of 5 days before is no longer a child or even a teen. Is this our last Christmas Eve with our baby? Last year we had the whole gang.
All 12 of us under one roof! Grandparents too! It was a magical night~And then, in came Santa with his ho ho ho! We read the Christmas story and ate and played with the babies and opened a present or two. It was all very festive and loud and happy. But not this year. This year was different. Nothing was predictable because we were marching on new territory. I wasn't sad though. Or at least not yet....
Layton got home from work at his usual time and within minutes, we couldn't stand it. We had to leave. All 3 of us. We all jumped into the car and we drove to a friends home where we dropped off another treat. We had almost made it out of their neighborhood when the unexpected flood gates opened up, for there, on a conner lot was a beautiful home with multiple cars parked in the driveway and along the street and the door was wide open and a welcoming hug was greeted to 12 guests carrying in dishes of wonderful Christmas delights, ready to spread some Christmas Cheer. The thought of my children and grandchildren and our Elder Sam all sprang right to my eyes, without any warning, and the kleenex was in the back seat! I couldn't stop the tears. I was glad it was dark because I knew it was an "ugly cry" too, not the pretty, petite little trickle of a tear down the check. Oh no, it was accompanied with a sob that makes you snort when you breath, that is if you can catch your breath. But wait, I couldn't be sad though because I knew everyone was safe and happy and my turn will come again next year but I just couldn't help it. Layton and Sara were so nice to not call me on it, and besides, I knew they were choking up too. We all just pretended that we didn't see what we just saw and we continued on our drive toward our traditional Christmas Eve Chinese dinner. We made our way to one of our favorite restaurants and played out our traditional secret service. (it's a rule that we don't disclose our anonymous service so I can't breach it here) It turned out wonderfully and we left the restaurant lifted with the spirit of Christmas once again but not enough to face our empty home quite yet. So we went to the MOVIES. True Grit. How fitting. We needed true grit within ourselves to make it through the night! So, sitting there with our popcorn with extra butter and extra large drink and frozen Jr. Mints, that sense of normality began to set in. And that's when it came. The call. Layton was "on call" with work so I didn't even flinch when he got up and ran down the stairs of the theater to answer his phone in the lobby. When he came back to his seat,he looked at me and just said, "it was Sam". I felt my heart relax and I knew that we could make it through this strange Christmas year.
After the movie, we drove home, read Luke 2, watched Joy to the World and had our family prayer. Just the 3 of us. The spirit of our Savior was so strong. I wonder if the believers on the earth, both in Bethlehem and here in the Americas,on the night when Christ was born had to have True Grit as they faced a different eve? The signs that were given must have been unnerving. Daylight at night, a new star, angels singing? Did they have a peace in their hearts when they heard the call from Gabriel that Christ was born?
I don't know what they all felt that night but I know what I felt on our "different" Christmas Eve this year. I know that my Heavenly Father knows me and cares about what I care about. I know that when I display "True Grit", or simply faith, He is there for me. He always gives me a sign that let's me know He cares.
I think there must have been some "divine" guidance in the making of "A Christmas Story" and the television broadcasting crew that decided to run the movie for the 24 hours of Christmas because it was a "God send" to us. At midnight, we turned on the TV and turned up the movie and found ourselves feeling "at home" again on Christmas Eve as we watched Ralphie with his Red Rider BEBE Gun and his entire family make the best of their "different" Christmas Holiday eating duck and listening to Fa ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra!
Us too!
PS- The rest of the story: I did get my whole family together for Christmas! Laci figured out how to get all 12 of us on the Skype for Sam's phone call so for 1 hour, it was pure JOY! Grandparents too!