A White Christmas

The first time I saw a white Christmas was my freshman year at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. It actually started in October and lasted all the way through May!

My roommate who had lived in Spokane her entire life knew right away when the first snowflakes had fallen during the night. When snow blankets the ground, there's a peaceful silence. I can "hear" it now, but back then I had no idea what "Misty" was talking about. The thrill of seeing white-flocked pine trees, white sidewalks, and frosted windows is a sight I will never forget. It was a magical playground.

Having lived in tropical climates and snow-filled climates, I have to say I do love the snow from the inside out. The thrill of sledding, throw snowballs and making angels in the snow is now reserved for the neighbor kids (mostly!). But the joy of watching snow fall never ceases to amaze me. I still get excited when I hear the forecast -- "snow is on its way."


This weekend we are due for an arctic blast which promises snow (and more snow for Christmas. It's guaranteed to be a "White Christmas").


Maybe it's the fascination I had with snow globes when I was younger -- shaking it up and watching the flakes fall softly to the bottom of the globe and shaking it up again. The thrill of snow is still with me and I'm excited for a "White Christmas" once again.


Wishing all of you a White Christmas!


Joyfully His,

Christmas is Over!

Christmas…it’s over!

No more gifts to buy, no more long lines to wait in, no more hustle and bustle, no more watering the Christmas tree (letting it die of natural causes), and no more cooking (just a refrigerator full of leftovers)...

It’s bittersweet.

Christmas 2008 will go down as one of the best in the Pombo family history books. We started the morning off with a huge breakfast made up of homemade cinnamon rolls (thanks to Pillsbury Pop ‘N Fresh) and fruit (strawberries, cantaloupe, grapes, pineapple, and kiwi). Afterwards we opened our gifts—covered with a thin layer of pine needles—thanks to our cat, Bianca, who staked out the tree weeks earlier as her new hiding place.

On Christmas morning, Jeremy delighted all of us with his unwrapped gifts carefully placed in a Gap drawstring bag (nice touch, sweetheart!). I told him, “You’re off the hook for the rest of your life!” I received the DVD—Mamma Mia! I don’t remember anything else after that, except there were oohs and ahhs and a lot of hugging and kissing.

Mamma went to work in the kitchen and the guys watched videos. The organic turkey (those aren’t cheap) was in the oven at 1:00 p.m., after still plucking out turkey “hairs.” I guess organic now means that you get to finish what they started (no preservatives means you have the honor of pulling out the rest of the feathers).

After not cooking a "real" meal in quite some time, I realized that it all boils down to the last half hour…timing is everything.

Jeremy and I jockeyed for position in our small kitchen as he mashed potatoes and I popped the baby quiches and crescent rolls in the oven.

While Jeremy carved the turkey, I took out the green bean casserole. We did the “turkey dance” trying to get everything out simultaneously without stepping on each other’s toes.

Finally, Jon said an ecumenical prayer as we held hands around the kitchen island, so I could keep an eye on the crescent rolls so they didn’t disintegrate into lumps of coal.

I didn’t disappoint in the baking department either, I made a Mrs. Smith pumpkin pie. Okay, for you who need to make a homemade pie, forget it! Mrs. Smith’s Hearty Recipe is outrageously good. Only my mom can make it better. We enjoyed dessert after the movies (yes, it’s a tradition—not to be missed). It was a tossup between “Benjamin Buttons” and “Marley and Me” (but the doggie movie won out—“paws” down).

Spoiler coming…you need to get out the Kleenex for this one! Jon later commented, “I knew there were going to be tears when the doggie started to die!”

Tears?

I cried—no, sobbed. Then I hiccupped cried through the rest of the movie—sopping up tears with my single-layer popcorn napkin and faux Burberry scarf. It was such a relief when the movie was over, because quite frankly I don’t think I could take any more torture.


Thankfully, Jon’s girlfriend—Kim—made me feel oh so much better because her sobs equaled mine in both length and intensity. Jon later commented, “It’s was just a dog?”

What? Man’s best friend—just a dog?

No, it wasn’t just about a dog…it was about the relationship man has with his four-pawed companion. And that’s all I’m going to say about that!

Later that evening, Kim and I consoled ourselves by eating “homemade” pumpkin pie with blotchy faces and puffy eyes.


Christmas is over and I’m both sad and slightly relieved. Christmas 2008 definitely had all the makings of a truly perfect day: family, food, God’s blessings, laughter, tears, warm memories, and a smidgen of drama.

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