There's Nothing Like Home for the Holidays...

...which is exactly where we thought we would be when, the week before Christmas, Mother Nature decided to dump approximately a foot of snow on our property, as well as the surrounding area for several hundred miles.

Since we were planning on being in Eugene over the holidays, we made a break for it at the first sign of a halt in the "Arctic Blast". That would have been Tuesday, December 23rd at 9:40am. Trucking along merrily, singing Christmas carols (ok, ok, it was "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" because Bean has to have HER music, but you get the idea), thinking, "This is nothing! What's all the fuss about?" Sailed through Washington, Vancouver, Portland, south of Portland...whoa. Slow it down. A little bit of ice here. Whoop! A little bit more. Before we knew it, we were rattling over a grit covered ice rink about four inches thick going five miles an hour for at least an hour and a half - with a 20 month old in the back! Wahoo! Misery. Fortunately Gary and I had done our driver's duty by refreshing ourselves in the knowledge of traction devices and were able to chain up rather quickly at a (much-needed) rest stop. Nevertheless, it took us nine hours to reach

our destination. Tired and tense, and all of us nearly (some of us already) in tears, we pulled in the driveway of my parents' house, walked in the door and....it was forgotten. What is it about family, about Christmas, about having everyone together? About the glowing fire and Christmas tree, presents and bows, and fragrance of a warm dinner on the stove....that makes such an arduous journey disappear and welcomes you truly home for the holidays.

What a holiday it was. Bean was enamored with all of the sights and sounds, paper and boxes, candy canes and chocolate coins. Christmas Eve was especially restless for me, who couldn't sleep for such excitement about seeing Bean's face on Christmas morning. Watching her open her stocking for the first time, seeing her unwrap her own presents - on more than one occasion I felt the tears sting my eyes as I relived the magic of a child's Christmas all over again. For those of you who have seen "The Polar Express", you will understand when I say that Bean has caused the bell to ring again for me; not least because she shakes her favorite ornament, a large jingle bell, and says, "I believe".