'Tis The Season II.........

I promised another Christmas memory by today, didn't I?

As our family gathers together here in Queen Creek, there's a part of us missing. Sean, Ashli and Ethan stayed in Wichita this year. We miss them but have already talked with them on the phone. So this Christmas memory is about Sean.

One year Mary's parents were spending a few months with us. Historically they had given the kids pencils with their names on them. It was a big joke that they always misspelled Sean's name as "Shaun" or "Shawn" or some other variation. This particular year there was a very large present with a card that read "To Sean from Grandma and Grandpa Jarboe".

The story was that they felt really bad about spelling his name wrong on the pencils all these years and this gift was to make up for it. It drove his older brother nuts.

On Christmas morning Sean tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a set of golf clubs. He profusely thanked Grandma and Grandpa for the gift and they apologized for spelling his name wrong on so many pencils for so many years.

Eventually Sean told his brother that he'd bought himself the golf clubs and had grandpa write the card. So, they sat wrapped in our living room rather than traveling the local courses because Sean got as much pleasure, if not more, from agitating his brother than he did from golfing.

Anyway, a whole new batch of memories are headed our way. That's Mary Addie Elizabeth the first on Santa's lap. Yeah, I took the photo....... I know what you're thinking. First a tree, now this?!?!?

'Tis The Season......

Well, I started this blog a few months back and likened it to one of those Family newsletters that seem to land in our mailboxes this time of year and now Christmas is upon us. Many people reflect upon the things of God during this season. I really try to do that throughout the year. Far from robbing the season of it's thunder, it really enhances the season for me. That's a good thing too, because so much of what the season has become seems to diminish the wonder of Christmas and reduce it to a stress-filled, mall wars free-for-all. The only reason Wii want to play is because Wii make so much money and we pay the price with more than our cash (or debt). I can't dwell on that kind of stuff or I get cynical.

Another thing that folks reflect on during this season is family. Family too is important to me. My relationship with Christ is primary, but family is certainly second. I hear people my age and younger talking about how they can hardly wait until their kids move out. Man, I don't understand that. It happened too soon for Mary and I.

I was talking to some of my co-workers today and relating some Christmas memories. If you ask our kids what they remember most about Christmas I'm sure one of them will mention that, "Dad always read the story of Jesus' birth from Luke chapter 2." That was a constant in our family tradition. Beyond that we changed things up pretty often:

One year we had no presents out for the kids. They kept asking and we kept feigning ignorance. On Christmas morning each of the kids was given an envelope. Each envelope contained a message telling them that a clue to the whereabouts of their presents was in the scriptures, and there was a reference. Each of them looked up their verses and tried to figure out what location the clue referenced. Each clue led to another and another until they found their gifts.

I think I'll share another post or two with memories of Christmas past before the day arrives.

This year most of us will be gathered in our home: Carlos III, his wife Cathy and their new little one - Mary Addie Elizabeth Conchita Louisa Ordonez the first (OK, everything after "Elizabeth" is made up....); We'll also have Angela, her husband Ben and their little man Aden (He's a trip! The photos in this post are of Aden). Unfortunately Sean, his wife Ashli and their little guy Ethan (who is doing so much better, thanks for askin') won't be joining us. I think I'll post a Sean memory next time.

Here's "Indiana Aden" wearing Pappa's hat. This was back when he spoke everyone's name out loud but would only whisper, "Pappa" which is what he was saying as I shot this.

So, if this is a "Christmas" post, what's with the pumpkin patch? These were some shots taken of Aden when he was picking out his "Apple". I just hadn't been able to blog about it yet, so I included the shots here. For those who want a shot that says "Christmas", here's one of our adopted daughter Bobbie and our Christmas tree........ yes, you heard right. We have a Christmas tree this year. Go tell it on the mountain............