All Together

We want to thank Old Man Winter and Mother Nature for getting along just long enough for my family to gather safely for Christmas this weekend in east-central Minnesota.

Although hubby did all the driving, I can vouch (from the back seat) that the roads were pretty good. Main roads were anyway. Some side roads were snow covered and slippery as expected. Casey got to ride shotgun going both ways since Clay didn't go with. I preferred the comfort of the backseat where I was not tempted to grip the dashboard with each encounter with slush. Jim prefers not to hear my sharp intake of breath either. So everybody wins.

What makes up a typical Hedberg family Christmas? Lots of things!

First of all, everyone makes every possible effort to get there. Since my nephew Tim braved the Dakota blizzard, I got to meet his son, my new great-nephew Tyler for the first time. Isn't he just the cutest baby on the planet?? Carter officially had to hand over his reign as the baby of the family. He's had a good gig for 11 1/2 years!

One essential activity for the day is the annual program. All of us siblings have been putting on a program for our parents since I was old enough to wear a robe and pretend to be a shepherd. Without fail we have done something for this program annually. Now that we're all grown up, each of us "kids" and our families do something -- a song, a reading, a skit, trumpet playing (Carter this year), spinning fire (my niece Angie this year). It's always something to make us smile or create a lump in our throats.

Other entertainment includes playing games of some sort. This year, we had 8 of us (including my niece Caryn and sister Rayna from Texas above) at one table playing Tele-Strations (that game I told you about at Thanksgiving) and another group was playing Sequence at another table. Carter and my great-nephew Anthony were playing Wii in one room, too.

Still another group was getting a lesson from Grand Cribbage Master Jim. This is where I have to tell you my dad actually beat Jim twice -- including skunking him once. I have never been able to beat Jim at cribbage. I recall only one time in my childhood that I beat my father at it. I think hubby has met his match! (And my dad won't let him forget it anytime soon!)

Of course, the other tradition in a Hedberg Christmas is that we just have fun -- like my dad and nephew Zach (a real cowboy) were when they switched hats. Just goofy stuff. It's not about presents or food (well, I guess it is a lot about food), but mainly just being with our family members. And thinking about those who couldn't be with us.

And feeling blessed that for one more year LeRoy, Marlys and the 8 R's are all together.