Christmas at home

I was able to fly back to the US for Christmas and spend some time visiting with my parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncle and cousins. It was SO GOOD to be here for Christmas! My little brother met me at the airport, jumping up and down and totally excited to see me. That made me feel great. On Christmas Eve he helped me find my stocking and hang it up at the fireplace, assuring me that Santa knew I had come back from Africa for Christmas. Then he got tucked into bed, and stayed there for about 5 minutes. He kept getting up and coming over to the balcony and poking his head down into the living room where the Christmas tree lights were twinkling and presents kept arriving from the wrapping station in the basement. After about the third trip to the railing I snuck upstairs into his room. He had a little mini tree decked with decorations and lights at the foot of his bed. So we found The Night Before Christmas and flopped down quietly to read by Christmas-tree-light. After the third whispered rendition of the story we laughed together at something, and the next thing we knew we heard "Honey, did you hear that? I sure hope he's not up in her room wrapping gifts!" Geordie & I looked at each other and I "laid a finger aside of my nose" (but I didn't up the chimney arose). We listened for footsteps coming up the stairs and I was transported back to my childhood when Rachel & I would whisper way into the night on Christmas Eve and try to keep an ear open to hear "Santa" leaving gifts in our stockings which were hung with care on the ends of our beds. After a few moments of silence we figured we were safe, so we scoured the bookshelf for "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". Actually, I scoured the bookshelf while Geordie prayed I didn't find it. I did however, and Geordie discovered that the Grinch wasn't quite as scary as he remembered. Eventually I kissed Geordie "Bonne Nuit" and spent the next hour wrapping.

PS - I bought myself a Vonage phone for Christmas, so if you want the number email me! (For those of you unenlighted - it is a phone that you hook up through your ADSL line, so I will have a US number in Africa! :)