“Mom, may we sleep in the barn on Christmas Eve?â€
Christmas Eve was the warmest day so far in December. I weighed the extra work and loss of sleep with the memories that would be made.
kAm“{6E’D 5@ :EP†x E@=5 E96 49:=5C6?] tI4:E6>6?E C6:8?65] tG6CJ@?6 8C23365 E96:C @H? D=66A:?8 328 2?5 962565 7@C E96 32C?]k^Am
kAm%@86E96C H6 962565 7@C E96 32C?[ H9:49 9@DED pFDE:?’D C233:E H:E9 323:6D[ D@>6E:>6D E96 9@CD6D[ D966A[ @C H92E6G6C 2?:>2= ?665D D96=E6C\ ?@E E@ >6?E:@? E96 :DDF6 @7 <66A:?8 >:46 2E 32J] %96 2C@>2 @7 92J 7:==65 E96 32C? 2D H6 DAC625 2 E9:4< =2J6C @G6C E96 32C? 7=@@C] “uF?P %92?< J@F[ |@>P†=:EE=6 y@D9F2 DH66E=J DE2E65] x <?6H :? >J 962CE :E H2D H@CE9 :E] w@D2??2 2?5 y@D9F2 76E4965 2 >2?86C 7@C y@D9F2 E@ D=66A :? H9:=6 E96 E9C66 @E96C 3@JD 76E4965 2 32:= @7 DEC2H] x 962565 7@C E96 9@FD6 2?5 76E4965 2 =@27 @7 3C625 2?5 2 A@E @7 49:=: D@FA x 925 962E65] r9F4<=:?8 J6E DJ>A2E96E:42==J[ x E9@F89E @7 E9@D6 @=56? 52JDj DFC6=J |2CJ 5:5 ?@E 8C23 DEJC@7@2> 3@H=D 2?5 A=2DE:4 DA@@?D E@ =:89E6? 96C =@25] ~9 >J[ 2C6 H6 E@@ DA@:=65nk^Am
kAmqJ E96 E:>6 x C6EFC?65 E@ E96 32C?[ E96 3@JD H6C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE 6I24E=J H96C6 E96J H@F=5 D=66A] pFDE:? H2D 3FDJ DEF77:?8 92J :? E96 E@A D64E:@? @7 @FC =2C86 '\D92A65 92J EC@F89 2?5 H2D 4@?G:?465 96 H2D D276 D=66A:?8 FA :? E96C6] W%9:D 962GJ\5FEJ EC@F89 2=D@ D6CG6D 2D 2 5:G:56C 36EH66? E96 9@CD6D 2?5 E96 7C@?E A2CE @7 E96 32C?X “(6’== 8:G6 :E D@>6 E:>6 2?5 D66 :7 96 5@6D?’E 324< @FE[†x E@=5 >JD6=7] y@D9F2 H2D 86EE:?8 D:EF2E65 :? E96 >2?86C[ 2?5 y6DD6 925 4=2:>65 2 DA@E @? E@A @7 2 =2C86 DBF2C6 32=6] t=:;29 49@D6 E@ D=66A :? 2 7665 32CC6= H9:49 H6 A=2465 @? :ED D:56] %96 8:C=D 7@F?5 4@>7J DA@ED 36D:56 >6 @? E96 365 @7 92J]k^Am
kAm$FAA6C H2D ?6IE] x 362>65 2E E96 4:C4=6 @7 49:=5C6? 2== 2C@F?5 >6] %9:D H@F=5 36 D@ >F49 H92E s2?:6= H@F=5 92G6 6?;@J65\ E@86E96C 46=63C2E:?8 D:>A=6 E9:?8D] (96? x =@DE E96 EH:DEJ E:6 7@C E96 3C625 328[ pFDE:? DF886DE65 x FD6 2 A:646 @7 DEC2H[ H9:49 H@C<65 A6C764E=J]k^Am
kAm“%96 5F4<D 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 @FC D@F?5 >249:?6P†y6DD6 564=2C65 W96 AC676CD D=66A:?8 H:E9 D@>6 D@CE @7 D@F?5 :? E96 324<8C@F?5X] x D>:=65j E96 =@F5=J BF24<:?8 5F4<D H6C6 ?@E D@ 2>FD65 @G6C E96 25@ 2?5 H@F=5 F?5@F3E65=J ?665 E@ 36 E2<6? @FE 7@C E96 ?:89E]k^Am
kAm%96 9@CD6D 4@?E6?E65=J >F?4965 @? pFDE:?’D 7C6D9 32E49 @7 92J[ D66>:?8=J :>AC6DD65 H:E9 6IEC2 4@>A2?J]k^Am
kAmpFDE:? H2D D:K:?8 FA E96 D:EF2E:@?[ “x’> E9C@H:?8 >@C6 92J @? E96 7=@@C @7 E96:C DE2== D@ E96J H@?’E 3:E6 >6 H96? E96J 62E 7C@> E96:C EC@F89[†96 564=2C65]k^Am
kAmqJ eib_[ E96 49:=5C6? H6C6 ?6DE=65 :? E96:C DA@ED[ 2?5 x E@=5 E96> DE@C:6D @7 H96? x H2D 2 =:EE=6 8:C= 2?5 9@H x’5 A=2J :? E96 92J 2?5 >2<6 EF??6=D H:E9 >J 3C@E96CD] x 962C5 2 D=:89E CFDE=6 @FED:56 E96 5@@C] %9:?<:?8 :E H@F=5 36 vC2?5A2D[ H9@ A=2??65 E@ A@A :? D@>6 E:>6[ x 82G6 E96 @G6C9625 82C286 5@@C @?6 3:8 AFD9 E@ @A6? :E 2?5 H6=4@>6 E96> :?]k^Am
kAmx 82DA65] w@H 4@F=5 :E 36 ECF6n p 8C@FA @7 ?6:893@CD 2?5 7C:6?5D DE@@5 E96C6] %96J 3FCDE :? r9C:DE>2D 42C@=D] x 9@AA65 324< :?E@ E96 5:>=J =:E 32C? @?E@ >J 3=2?<6E ?6IE E@ ‘q23J y6DFD’] %96 49:=5C6?[ 6BF2==J DFCAC:D65[H@C6 E96 D2>6 6IAC6DD:@?D @7 5:D36=:67]k^Am
kAmp3@FE 2E E92E >@>6?E[ D96A96C5D C@F?565 E96 4@C?6C] (6 3FCDE :?E@ =2F89E6C] }6G6C 925 H6 D66? vC2?5A2 2?5 vC2?5>2 =:<6 E9:D 367@C6P %96:C 2?4:6?E DEJ=6 @7 5C6DD H:E9 =@?8 C@36D 2?5 3=2?<6ED E:65 2C@F?5 E96:C 9625 E@@< E96 42<6j H6 =@G65 6G6CJ 3:E @7 :E] {62?:?8 @? 9:D DE277[ vC2?5A2 2D<65 @?6 @7 E96 @E96C >6?[ “w2G6 J@F D66? E96 2?86=Dnâ€k^Am
kAm“}@]â€k^Am
kAm|@G:?8 @? 96 2D<65 2?@E96C[ “w2G6 *~& D66? E96 2?86=Dnâ€k^Am
kAm“*6DP qFE ?@E H:E9 >J 6J6D]â€k^Am
kAm%92E H2D 23@FE :E] %96 2?86=:4 9@DED 4@F=5 36 76=E 2== 2C@F?5]k^Am
kAm$@@? E96J H6C6 2== 8@?6 2?5 H6 H6C6 =67E >2CG6=:?8 @G6C :E 2==]k^Am
kAm~<2J[ x’== ?665 E@ 36 >@G:?8 @? 2?5 DF>>@? E96 49:=5C6?[ ?@H C@>A:?8 :? E96 92J[ 2?5 86E E96> D6EE=65 5@H? 7@C E96 ?:89E]k^Am
kAm(6’== D66 H92E E96 ?:89E 9@=5D\ x 5@?’E <?@H[ x’== E6== J@F 23@FE :E @?46 x <?@H >JD6=7Pk^Am
kAmp ut( sp*$ {p%t#i }@H 49F4<=:?8[ x 7@?5=J E9:?< 324< @G6C E92E >6>@C23=6 ?:89E E@86E96C 2?5 2> E92?<7F= H6 92G6 4@>7J 365D :? E96 9@FD6] x =62C?65 D6G6C2= E9:?8D E92E ?:89E[ DF49 2D C233:ED’ 9:89 A:E49 DBF62=D 2?5 ?:89EE:>6 C24:?8 @C 9@H %:DD2[ E96 A@?J[ @FE\D>2CE65 FD :? AF==:?8 @? E96 C@A6 H:E9 96C E66E9 E@ F?5@ E96 82E6 E92E H2D >62?E E@ <66A 96C @FE] p?5 J6D[ pFDE:? D=6AE 2== ?:89E :? 9:D EC@F89] (96? E96 =:89ED H6C6 @FE[ y@D9F2 E@=5 >6[ “x H2?E E@ 36 4=@D6C E@ J@F D@ x 42? 9F8 J@F]†w@D2??2 H2D E9C:==65 E@ E2<6 @? E96 C@== @7 q23J y6DFD 2D y@D9F2 D?F88=65 FA 4=@D6 E@ |2>2] %96 DE@>249 7=F 25565 :ED @H? 7=2:C 367@C6 E96 ?:89E H2D @G6C] %96 ?6IE >@C?:?8 H6 925 6IEC2 E9:?8D E@ 36 E92?<7F= 7@C\ D@ >2?J E9:?8D x FDF2==J 5@?’E E9:?< E@ E92?< v@5 7@CPk^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 42C@=6CD D92C65 E9:D D?24< C64:A6 H:E9 >6] %96J D6== =2C86 BF2?E:E:6D @7 E9:D D?24< 2E E96:C 4@F?ECJ DE@C6[ 6DA64:2==J E9:D E:>6 @7 E96 J62C] t?;@JPk^Am
kAmr@C?J $?24< >:Ik^Am
kAm` `^a 4FAD A@AA65 4@C?k^Am
kAmg @K 4@C? AF77Dk^Am
kAmg @K 4@C? 49:ADk^Am
kAm`a @K H9:E6 49@4@=2E6k^Am
kAm`] |:I E@86E96C 7:CDE E9C66 :?8C65:6?ED]k^Am
kAma] |6=E H9:E6 49@4@=2E6 W:7 56D:C65 255 2 3:E @7 4@4@?FE @:=[ >2<:?8 :E 2 3:E E9:??6C 2?5 62D:6C E@ 4@2E D?24<DX]k^Am
kAmb] |:I H:E9 D2=EJ D?24< >:IEFC6]k^Am
kAmc] $AC625 @?E@ 2 4@@<:6 D966E E@ 2:C 5CJ]k^Am
kAmd] (96? 5C:65 E@ E96 E@F49 A=246 :? 2:C E:89E 4@?E2:?6C]k^Am
kAms6=:4:@FD DH66E 2?5 D2=EJ D?24<Pk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.