I was getting giddy thinking about going to see gingerbread houses. Way back when we had three children, we had taken them to see the creche and gingerbread displays in charming winter town collections. The nostalgia was killing me. I had worn my quaint Christmas fleece I had even sewn with pom poms going up the zipper, wearing red lip stick, my hair in a timeless up due with braids, and feeling pretty and accomplished by dressing my little ones warm and doing something so Christmasy and fun.
So delighted at repeating this memory, I had to think, “I am so my Grandma Williams, these type of events tickled her silly!
I love this picture of my grandmother. In the first photo, I learned from my aunts that she had gathered travel clothes to make a home visit. In the second, she and my sensational aunt Vivian on the far left, sewed matching Easter dresses, in cahoots. Another thing that she just loved to do was match and coordinate daughters. From some genealogy research my aunts shared with me, I learned that her mother Wilhemina was also all about reciting charming little poems, songs and stories to create childhood magic and delight. All those things I love about me, are really bits and pieces of cherished dna, whispers from angels to bid you here and there, and traditions carried and passed down of gathering children to quaint experiences.
My daughters were super busy with finals approaching, so I thought I’d plan a short and sweet visit, containing our experience to a one hour tour. I wasn’t for sure for a minute that we could pull it together with differing schedules.
Yet, I found myself driving down with three young and wiggly boys, teasing and screeching. I wondered if I had made the best decision. I could have had some time with just my girls!!! But these young boys also deserved the same spark of outings that these first ones had enjoyed.
I was busy rehearsing with them, “You better not act like this once we get there! Do NOT touch! Do NOT chase, collide, bump, or jostle. Heaven FORBID they rupture a gingerbread display in their rambunctiousness.
What a treat when we visited my second daughter’s dorm and she had thoughtfully gathered food for our journey. Mine was this delightfully healthy dish whose every taste brought me nourishment, pleasing sweetness of tastiness and love from her service. We saved half of that and some pizza for our other daughter who called us just after work, and we all made such good time with our schedule that I was very proud of us for all that we negotiated so well!!
My very favorite moment approached after my oldest met us at our car and partook in the foods my daughter and I had the privilege of sharing with her. We were walking toward the display from far across the mall where it was less crowded and easier to park a large van. The girls were counting to three and swinging their youngest brother. Oh, my heart swelled in joy. Every trouble this had been trying to pull together was 199% worth it. Their bodies were all full of joy, of love and togetherness with the playfulness they generated from their loving souls, this was what I saw and this is how it felt:
The girls helped with the boys and the boys did a great job! We took pictures near our favorite displays.
These boys loved the temple! And I loved the traditional looking houses.
These three loved this one, the interior furniture was spectacular. I found out later, my second daughter loved the ones with lots of sugar glass.
Then, my second favorite moment, was when my girls said, “We’ll be right back!” They ran off to do the photo booth and a little shopping while the boys and I visited the bathroom. There were three strips of the same photos, so they gave me my own strip too. My husband and I, our favorite thing is to see the friendship and outreach these siblings have together once they are grown. It’s another favorite thing of mine, when my husband confides to me, as the memory rolls, how special it is to see our raised children connecting one with another in the bonds of friendship and love.
As we left the mall, my oldest and I had lost our photo strips, speaking of dna, and so we ran back in to find them, which was luckily so easy to do, and I got to see my daughter quickly try on a cute outfit, and that wrapped up our day; we were back on the road within our schedule as well.
I hope your season gets filled with those memories that bring you delight and you can push through the hard parts of managing stresses and coordinating schedules, to get to the pure gold!!