I remember how we tried to have children and when it finally happened, we were over the top with excitement. Every milestone was going to be perfect for her (as if we had any say), but you know how first time parents are. So we purchased her all the wonderful presents (can’t even remember what they were anymore) and remember she was only 5 months old. Jimmy worked for the local County Road District driving a dump truck and I was staying home until the first of the year.
So we went to my parents house (like normal) on Christmas Eve. It was cold and snowy but nothing that was going to stop us from going. After all this was our baby’s first Christmas and we were anxious to start making memories with her. AND IT WAS COLD, oh wait, I think I said that already. We got home late, did all the parent things required on Christmas Eve night and went to bed, ready to do the same thing with Jimmy’s family the next day.
You know how you never sleep really good on Christmas Eve because you are so excited waiting to hear Santa and the reindeer? Well, that is the sleep I fell into and all the time, I am hearing this noise in the background, you know the kind they put on DVDs to help you sleep or relax or whatever it is for. This one could have been called “Howling Wind”. You see we lived on a very flat, very clear prairie with no wind break whatsoever. The wind picked up early that night and it was so bitterly cold (are you seeing a pattern to my memory?).
We got up and Santa had been there and gone without us hearing him, probably because of the wind making so much noise, although I will never figure out how he landed that sleigh without crashing. Talk about an awesome job with the reindeer. We are ohhhing and ahhhing over her gifts and she could really care less when the phone rang. It was Jimmy’s employer telling him he had to come in and push snow, it had drifted really bad in the night, everyone was going to meet at the maintenance shed around 10:00 a.m. Needless to say, he was disappointed and a little angry at Mother Nature for trying to ruin his baby girl’s First Christmas. Then he went outside to start the truck and it wouldn’t start. You see, we had the second lowest wind chill recorded in the area that morning (44 degrees below 0). That is beyond cold, beyond frigid, I don’t think there is a word to describe that type of cold. Right then and there I decided I hated snow and have not changed my opinion one bit. Plus the fact that I usually end up falling at some point on snow or ice and I am way too old to be doing that anymore.
So there we all sat depressed and a little mad, when Jimmy’s Dad showed up and said his family had postponed Christmas because of the bad weather, he helped Jimmy get the truck started and away they went. So now just me and Tara are at the house, what are we supposed to do. This was supposed to be the highlight of the Christmas season, you see, Jimmy’s family had spent years waiting to celebrate Christmas with a girl and that was not to happen that day.
My parents called to check on all of us and I told them about Jimmy having to work, his family postponing Christmas and how bummed I was. They decided to come up and get me (my car wouldn’t start anyway and I wasn’t going to venture out with a baby by myself) and take me to my Dad’s extended family Christmas.
So we actually spent Christmas with family, just not the family we had expected. We celebrated with Jimmy’s family that next week and all had a wonderful time. Tara got an excessive amount of presents that she could really care less about at the time, but now she is the first one to try to push the deadline for receiving Christmas presents. Her and Greg have already opened at least one present from each other and if they are honest, probably most of them (unless this year is very different from others).
So when I tell you I hate snow, you know the biggest reason but I also hate it for all the people who have to work on Christmas and can’t spend it with family. So I hope you have a Merry (snowfree) Christmas and make many memories with family and friends.
God works in mysterious ways, sis. I don’t even recall all the bad weather. I must’ve been about 12 at the time so I’m guessing it really didn’t matter to me. LOL. On the other hand, one of my fondest memories is one of Granny Brans last Christmases. Mike was working weekends then and we were having Granny’s Christmas at noon that day. I went out to do chore before the boys and I had to get ready and there was this light, gorgeous snow falling. It just seemed so perfect and burned itself into my memory.
I think that was the last time we took her to midnight Mass. Was snowing on and off all week and just as we came out of Mass these huge snowflakes came out of nowhere and was so awesome! Didn’t like driving home in it but the girls were both awake and so cool for them as well as us.
Wow, i would have been upset as well. They are calling for some snow mix this week around christmas as well, i hope it is not bad enough to keep us from traveling.
Me too, and I want to see Ms. Char and the new little one!
I totally understand being bummed BUT you were “stuck” with ME!
True, but you basically laid there (well you were sitting up) and babbled, what am I thinking, I was doing the same thing.