The Busy Season Begins Today

The Christmas season officially begins at 4:30 PM today. That's when my Mom and Ray arrive from Vancouver. As good fortune would have it, my brother Jim is coming into town today, on his way home from a road trip down to the Los Angeles area. Both Jim and I are blessed, or cursed as the case may be, with the travel bug and love of a good road trip.

I am excited about their arrival today, so much so that I woke up very early today. It took a bit of convincing by my body to tell me to go back to sleep until my normal awakening time of 11:00 AM. Last night was not a good sleep night so it's important that I get what rest I can, when I can get it.

The next week will be full and busy. Today it's Mom, Ray and Jim. Tomorrow is a resting day. Saturday is my annual Friends and Family Christmas Party; this year it could be a big one, there looks to be about 15 - 20 people attending so far but I don't really keep track of who is coming. I just let it happen. On Sunday, Mary arrives with her husband, Albert, and their two children, Rose and Quinn. My son Ricky will either arrive on Sunday evening or on Monday morning sometime, depending on whether he stays overnight in Revelstoke on the way. Tuesday, Meaghan and her family arrives, husband Lewis and daughter Charlotte.

With Kate living in Calgary already, this means, for the first time ever, all of my children as well as my parents will be here at the same time, celebrating the season with me, doing our traditional Christmas stuff, only this time here in Calgary. On Tuesday we are having a joint birthday party for Rose, who turns 3, and for Charlotte, who turns 4 in a couple of weeks. On Wednesday we will do our Christmas Eve stuff together. Perhaps some will attend a Christmas Eve service at a local church. We'll do a light supper together before everyone opens a gift, then decamps down to Kate's house where they are all staying. There's not enough room for them all in my little apartment.

Christmas Day is the big event, with stockings to empty, presents to unwrap, and a giant family dinner of turkey and all the trimmings. After dinner we will sit, resplendent in our gorged madness, watching the kids play with new toys, betting on who breaks what first. The day will wind down, and suddenly, just as quickly as it begins, it will end. Mary and family go home on Boxing Day. The day after, Rick will leave as will Meaghan and family.

Mom and Ray are here to the 30th or 31st, I am not sure which. Then they too will go home. Once again my small apartment will be empty of all except me. The tree will be down and it will seem as a dream, having so many of my children here, having my grandchildren here, having my Mom and Ray here, having Jim here. My family will leave; I will keep the memories. That's how this all works, doesn't it?