Today is Christmas; A day of love, warmth, and family togetherness.

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." -Burton Hillis

This is the second Christmas we have had without mom at home, and I can tell you it wasn’t any easier than the first. Except for last year, we had hope that mom would be home this Christmas. Last year it was only a “temporary” thing. This year we know that it is not. But I know that we have to keep on going and hope that we have many more with her. No matter where they are.

This year, we woke at 7:00. One of the later Christmas mornings we have had. Some years, we have woken up at 5:00, and one year, even 4:00. After we woke up, we exchanged a few presents, and then packed up to go to moms. We did our usual Christmas morning breakfast, also in the small kitchen and dining area, and then we started to open presents.

However, we made the mistake of letting mom open one present before breakfast. All while we were preparing and eating, she kept asking “Can I open another one?” She was acting like a little kid, which was quite comical. Mom got spoiled this year. She got several blankets, some new clothes, and a few things for her room; which, in comparison to previous years, is a lot.

After opening presents, we got mom back to her room, and had the CNA’s lay her down for a nap so she would be bright eyed and bushy tailed for when we got back from grandma’s house. We went to grandma’s house for a few hours, and had a little bit more family togetherness. Oh, man, we laughed a lot.

After grandma’s, we went back to mom’s to tuck her into bed. She was tired, so we didn’t stay long.

This was an overall good Christmas I would say. It was a beautiful day we had to spend with family and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Remember, Christmas is not about the gifts we receive now, but about the gift we received from our father in heaven over two thousand years ago. His one and only son.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve Traditions

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
~Charles Dickens

This Christmas Eve finds Sheila very alert and in great spirits. She has been counting down the days until Christmas.

Right after Thanksgiving we decorated her room with a lighted garland above her window, brought in her Utah Jazz themed Christmas tree and made a wreath for her door. Christmas has always been special for Sheila so we make sure that we continue to make it special for her.

Today, Mom and Dad Sagers came down to bring Sheila her Christmas present. Mom made Sheila a double sided fleece blanket. The top side is a cat print with a solid pink on the reverse. Anyone that knows Sheila knows that she loves anything with cats on it. She loves her new blanket so much that she won’t let us take it off of her to show people what she got.

We resumed our Christmas Eve traditions after the unexpected turn of events of last year. Using the small kitchen and dining room they have at Sheila’s care center, we were able to continue the tradition of eating Maple Garden’s Chinese food by candlelight. (Without the candlelight, of course.) We then went into the Resident’s Lounge and used their large screen T.V. to watch Christmas movies. We watched a few of our favorites, which included: Will Vinton’s A Claymation Christmas, Little Drummer Boy, and The Nativity. Sheila very much enjoys the time we spend with her, even if it is just watching a Christmas movie.

We are very thankful for the ability to keep traditions alive at Christmastime.

Merry Christmas!

Sounds of the Season X 2 = Fun

One of my favorite pastimes is playing the piano. For the past couple of years a friend of ours, Lucinda Birt, actually pays me to come and teach her piano. But what we like to do most is play duets, especially of Christmas carols and songs. After working so hard to perfect these piano pieces I decided we needed to perform somewhere to share what we had accomplished.

I made arrangements with the activities director at Mt. Ogden Health and Rehab for us to go in and play for the residents. So this afternoon we did a whole one hour recital of a mix of solos and duets of our favorite Christmas songs. We had a lot of fun and the residents seemed to really enjoy it. Thanks, Lucinda for being such a great sport. The best part was that I got to play for my best fan. Thanks, Sheila!