Christmas vacation started yesterday after our annual LPM Christmas party. Our whole staff gathered around the big table in the board room and we celebrated with Mexican food and a Secret Santa gift exchange. We have a dollar limit on what each person can spend and every single one of us was accused of going over it. There were many excuses, such as “I had a coupon!” or “It was on sale!” Only the Lord knows the truth.
We were all given beautiful scarves and “I love my job” mouse pads from Beth. My sister arranged her scarf in a perfect display of elegance while the rest of us begged her to give a demonstration. Most Texans sorely lack the skill set needed for elegant scarf wearing. Melissa has a clear advantage because she spent so many years in Chicago and Wheaton, IL.
Today was my favorite day in a long time. Curtis blessed me to spend it at my parents’ house while he kept the kids. I picked up some Chickfila – which would surely be Jesus’ favorite food if He lived on the earth in 2009 – and Melissa and I had lunch together while Mom took a nap. Dad made some baked potato soup for her and of course we had to sample some of that, too.
When Mom started to wake up, Melissa and I climbed in bed with her and we laid there forever laughing and looking at all the recent pictures on Melissa’s laptop. She just got a new lens for her camera, which is what she used to take those pretty pictures of “Baking with Bibby.”
Mom, who is clearly the nurturer and caretaker of our whole clan, is having an interesting time being the one who is served. Frankly, she hates it. Today, in her most dramatic voice, she said, “I am sucking the life out of this whole family! Just call me Hoover!” She was dead serious, but I just fell out laughing because that has got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. We have had to do very, very little for her, especially when you think about all the energy it has taken her to care for this handful of a family for 31 years!
Later Melissa and I ran some errands together. We were nearly run over two times in the parking lot because apparently my sister hasn’t mastered the skill of looking both ways before she crosses the street. I naively trusted her to guide me across. Pray for her! We made a quick stop in a video game store for a family member who shall not be named and Melissa came extremely close to buying an old Nintendo set. I’m talking about the one from 1989 that we used to play Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt on. Get this, it was fifty dollars! That is craziness! Curt’s grandparents still have one at their house and we always play when we visit. I actually have a date with Dr. Mario in a few days. How many of us still remember the secret code to Contra?
Next we went to Best Buy, where we spotted a Bump-It of all things! Never fear, it left the store with us thanks to Melissa. I think she was trying to fill the hole in her heart from leaving that Nintendo in the video game store. Each Bump-It box contains three sizes and my sister immediately put the biggest one in her hair when we got home. Dad, who is never shy with his fashion commentary, said “Lissy, do you have an Ostrich egg coming out of your head?” Unfortunately, Melissa would not allow herself to be photographed in that moment.
Soon everyone wanted some hot tea. I don’t know how to make the simplest cup of coffee, but I’m the official Moore Family Tea Fixer. Everyone has jumped on the tea bandwagon since Mom’s surgery – it seems to be easier on her system. While I was making our tea, our friendly neighborhood UPS man delivered a key lime bundt cake from We Take the Cake. Is that not perfect timing? It came in the most adorable box ever. We pulled it out and everyone agreed it should have a small potted plant in the middle of it, a la My Big Fat Greek Wedding. We opened the card to find that Curtis’ family had sent the cake. How sweet of them and how sweet of the Lord to let me be there when it came! Melissa was in charge of icing the thing and let’s just say that a huge glob of it fell to one side and ruined any chance of a picture appearing on the blog. (Glob and blog are spelled similarly!) The cake was the perfect thing to have with our afternoon tea. It was a tasty ending to one of my favorite days ever.
Thanks for sticking through this very random post. To make it even more random, I’m going to add our family’s Christmas pictures. These were taken the day before Thanksgiving. Mom and Dad didn’t get a chance to send out cards this year, so I know they won’t mind me sharing them.
Siestas, I pray that you will have many moments of laughter and joy with your loved ones in the days to come. May the love of Christ fill your hearts and homes as you celebrate the wonder of His birth. Merry Christmas to you!
