What A Day?!

Dear Friends...

My father and sister, Chloe, are in Indianapolis at the present moment.... Daddy had some concerts and a gig over there.  As a result of this, I was going to be left in the big, cold, attic room for the weekend... So last night, we made sleeping arrangements: Olivia slept with mommy, and I slept with Tirzah.  I studied late into the night, because I want so very much to get everything done on time.  I finally fell asleep very very late... I first woke up about 6:30, and thought: "oh! What a day! I can get up early... get stuff done... It will be so productive." But, of course, I fell asleep. Around seven I woke up to the sound of little pattering feet in the room.  The heaters had just come on and there was a delicious warmth that spread through the room.  Through my half open eyes I saw Olivia, standing with her eyes half closed (there is a big difference between the two... as one is partially awake, the other partially asleep) and she saw there was no room for her, so whimpering she left the room.  I felt a sort of inertia around my mouth, so I couldn't talk, and I snapped my fingers till she turned around.  I opened up my arms to her and the little blond-haired angel came straight to me.  We snuggled down together and I prepared to go to sleep again.  But Olivia is a restless sleeper... her arms and legs and head were constantly squirming.  So after awhile, when I became unbearably hot, I thought that I would go upstairs to my cold bed for a little bit.  So I stuck Olivia next to Tirzah, covered her up, and went upstairs, feeling the delicious cold air in my hot face... and my bed was so cool, and felt so refreshing that in no time, I was asleep.  I was aware of several little people scampering around my room during the course of the morning, but was never more than half awake to have the sense to wake up entirely. 

That is... until Olivia said: "Ruby! Ruby! Wake up! The carpet cleaners are here and they're coming up here!"

Oh joy....

So I hear them on my stairs (and I don't know why they were because they didn't even clean my stairs) and I completely froze in front of the mirror, looking at my swollen eyes, tired face, and wild hair.  I heard the men retreat all the way downstairs, and I hurriedly threw on some clothes, gathered up my books and notebooks, and a toothbrush, and went downstairs.  The carpet cleaner looked puzzled when he saw my face, but I only tried to open my eyes as wide as I possibly could and smile.  My mother laughed when she saw me.  "We were imagining what you would do when you found out that they were cleaning the carpets and you had no way to get down here."  I looked at the clock... it was 10 AM.  Three and a half hours had been spent sleeping... and not that that's a bad thing... just when it ends at 10 in the morning.  I sighed, and turned to finish an essay on Alfred the Great.   I only finished some of it.  When the carpet men were finished, and commented on how everyone in our family had grown since they had come last, I wondered if they thought that Gabriel and I were just more of those rebellious teenagers.  I hoped not.  Maybe the fact that all the little kids were sitting around the table talking with us did something.

We planned on getting Christmas tree, and decorating it while eating Jo Froggers and Eggnog.  We invited Peter over.  Mother left the house to do some Christmas shopping and get the tree.  I made the Jo Frogger dough, and then made lentil soup for dinner.  But mother came home without a Christmas tree. She couldn't make a decision.  As the day wore on, we decided not to get one.  We talked to dad, Uncle John and Aunt Kathy, found out that my cousin's wife (as of August) is just now expecting their first baby.  Then Peter called.  After that, we somehow decided to get a tree.  I don't know what the result of this day will be.  I'm about to go roll out the Jo Frogger dough to make the cookies, and the Eggnog.  But mother and Gabriel are out searching for a tree, Peter will be here in about an hour, and the carpets look white compared to before.  What a clean feeling! 

As we decorate the Christmas Tree, we'll think of Martin Luther, the great reformer, walking through the pine forest and seeing the moon beams come through, reminding him of the beauty of God's creation...and then going home and recreating it with a baby tree and candles. As we put up the manger scene we'll think about why we celebrate Christmas... because the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and how without his incredible birth, born below his state in the humblest of conditions, we could not have his death, and without his death, there would be no remission for our sins and our guilt.  So for this reason we rejoice, and look forward to 25 December as the day that we celebrate the Incarnation of Christ.... but let us not celebrate it only once a year, but every day, and every hour, and every minute, and every second.

I still am thinking about the blond-haired angel who came to snuggle with me this morning.  Nobody ever feels more loving than when he/she is snuggling with one of these little angels.