It had been a full week already, I felt a cough coming on and I was tired but as I settled into my seat on the train to Redding, CA Christmas Eve morning I was relieved and excited to think of being with my family that night.The last few years our family has been through many transitions and Christmas is the one time we all gather together. We exchange very few, if any, gifts but what we
all love and treasure is that we each carve out finances, time and energy to live under one roof and enjoy life together for a week. Travel takes up a big cost each year since we live in Seattle, N. Cali, S. Cali, Tennessee, and Wyoming. Normally a week flies by for me, but itwas a rare gift to have a whole week that was full but not rushed, relaxed but not boring. Here are some highlights from our time together last week:
Playing-having time to actual recreate is rare for me. It snowed and rained a lot so we were inside more than outside playing video games, cards, table tennis, pool, and basketball. But we were able to go skiing, snowboarding and snow shoeing. I had not been skiing in five years so I was very excited about hitting the slopes. Two days later I returned with a snowboard and really enjoyed it though it was my first time-thankfully it was a clear day with lots of powder.
Eating-to hear our family talk about food you'd assume we were morbidly obese. Thankfully we are not but we do love good food. Two meals are family Xmas traditions: Fondu dinner and Red and Green breakfast. Especially after doing cooking projects with 2nd-3rd graders this last year I can understand why my parents chose these meals-they involve a lot of prep that keeps little kids hands busy:)
Fondu Dinner
we made two different cheese options and had bread, small potatoes, ham, cauliflower, apples, brussel sprouts, etc. to dip. The normal rule is that whoever is first to lose their food in the cheese while dipping has to do dishes! After dinner we have the chocolate fondu with strawberries, bananas, and raspberries were a new addition this year. I sadly forgot to pull out my camera for this.
Red and Green Breakfast
we are the only family I know yet who has made up this tradition: all the food served has to be red or green, assisted by food coloring if necessary. We had crepes, sausage, jams and jellies, whipped cream, powdered sugar, juice, applesauce-all red or green (though white was allowed too). It might not look appetizing but trust me it tastes amazing!
Prayer time
Every Christmas gathering at some point, near the beginning or end of a day, we update each other on how we are doing and take time to pray for each other. Especially the last few years I've seen how much of a blessing this is, to know that despite the distance between us, we are still family. It allows us to know how we are doing, which is hard to gage from a phone call or letter sometimes.
Surprise Meal
One of my sisters made me a celebratory meal for getting into a grad school: my ideal winter meal of homemade soup, bread, with cheese and a salad. I really need to get better vocab to describe it all. I felt so spoiled to walk in a see it all made! I ended up taking a loaf with me on the train and just eating it plain-it was that good...
On the Train
I really enjoyed my train ride though the arrival and departure times were unfortunate in Redding (2:30am and 3:30am). It was spacious, quiet, scenic. I could spend days completely alone and be pretty content. I was able to read for fun! no homework or assignments or lessons to plan. I watched a few episodes of a show my brother in law gave me a year earlier...I made slow progress over a year. Compared to the cost of flying and attention demand of driving, the train was perfect
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