December 25, 2018 - Tuesday - early Christmas Day
23 degrees/cloudy/calm winds
Pentoga Road
Dear Santa,
I'm sitting here getting ready to write my blog, but first, I wanted to thank you for all the wonderful gifts you left under the tree. I lay in bed quite awhile earlier this morning because I was afraid you hadn't been here yet. I guess I didn't have to worry about that! I hope you didn't give us everything in your magic bag so all the other good grandmas and grandpas around the world got their share!
Since you were out flying around the world last night, I thought I'd let you know what we did yesterday.
Boy, was it a busy one!
I started by cleaning the drive of two to three inches of light, fluffy, snow. I'm so happy it fell and can hardly wait until daylight so I can see the tracks left by your sleigh. I know there will be plenty of deer tracks in the yard, but I think those are from the pesky, garden-eating varmints that live in the woods surrounding our house!
I finally got Mom's Christmas present pretty well finished in the shop yesterday morning, the one that I've been working on for the past several days.
There's still more touch up to do with the paint, but hey, you of all people know that Christmas waits for no one and I've been working long and hard to get this done by today. I hope my effort scores me some points for your Nice List. Can those count towards next year?
It was soon time to pack the car with all the presents and head to Iron Mountain. Boy oh boy, I don't know how you do it, Santa, loading all those presents for all the good little girls and boys the world over. Why, we hardly had room at all after packing all the gifts we had for the family!
It's a good thing we had the Equinox! I told Mom and Sargie that I might have to strap them onto the top as we might have to use their seats for cargo space! Of course, Santa, I was only kidding. Really I was. I hope I didn't get my name on the Naughty List for saying that.
After first stopping for Mom to get her hair done, we went to Hambone's house. Was he ever happy to see Grandma Hedy, Grandma Sargie and if I may say so, his old Pawpaw.
I think he was most excited knowing that you were coming to his house last night.
His mommy, Mel, had made the most delicious plate of Christmas cookies, plus lots and lots of other holiday goodies. I'd bet Grady made sure he left plenty out for you!
Holy cow, Santa, everyone got so many presents! I couldn't believe it. At one point, we almost lost Hambone in all the wrapping paper. He must have been a good boy as he was surrounded by presents.
Mom and Sargie had so much fun opening their gifts. There was something for everyone!
You should have seen Macrea. He was wearing his silly Christmas reindeer cap! We all laughed as I'm sure you will when you see this.
Nikki and Shea were there along with munchkins, Logan and Kylie. There were lots of presents for them too!
It wasn't long before we made our way to the annual Milligan Christmas Eve celebration in Sargie's hometown, Foster City.
Sargie's nephew and godson, Taylor, was hosting it this year and boy, did we ever have fun!
One of the best parts of the evening was listening to the performance that Marley and her younger sister, Aubrey, had prepared. Marley just started playing trumpet this year, but, can she ever play!
Aubrey led us in singing and thank goodness, we had Auntie Debbie to assist as the official music holder!
So the evening went. I wish you could have been there, Santa. It was so much fun.
At one point, I was a little bit sad and wished that my four sons, their wives, and our nine other grandbabies could have been with us, but then as you know, that's what happens when little boys grow up and become daddies and husbands and have homes of their own.
We ate and we laughed and we ate and we sang and we talked and we giggled. Macrea and I had a pretend argument over who would get any left over stuffed mushrooms that Auntie Debbie made! I must have eaten eight or ten and he claims to have eaten even more! Yes, for one night, Macrea and I were little piggies!
Famous JC Penney model, Nancy, was there and though she was busy talking to all the "beautiful people," she agreed to pose for a picture.
Nancy is still waiting for a call from her nonexistent agent that will see her jetting off to Europe, the South Pacific, perhaps Vale or Sun Valley, for a catalogue shoot. I haven't had the heart to tell her that JC Penney quit sending out catalogues years ago.
The best gift I received yesterday came in a little tiny package. It was one of the most meaningful presents I've opened in a long time.
As you might guess, it came from that munchkin wedged between his mommy and daddy.
And Santa, I guess you know that I love Hambone too along with our other nine grandchildren. Each is special and beautiful and I wish I had your power to snap my fingers and be with them this morning as they unwrap the presents. I hope they know how much we truly love them.
So Santa, it's been a great year. One in which my sight went from 20/200, legally blind, to 20/15, better than perfect. Thank God for modern technology and the near infrared light treatments. As you know, it's a miracle.
Despite last spring's surgery for colon cancer and diagnosed with congestive heart failure, Mom is like a well-built Timex. She may take a licking every now and then, but she not only keeps on ticking, she thrives! Mom will be 92 this next June and I'm happy to say she's going strong, certainly hearty enough to keep her little boy in line!
Then there's my beautiful, wonderful, Sargie, who gives real meaning to my life. I'm not sure how I deserve such a wonderful and loving woman, but together, we make a pretty good team! We're fishing partners, shopping partners, driving partners... why, Santa, we do most everything together and the miracle of this union is, I don't even mind! (I do have to say that I'm not too wild about going shopping for girl stuff though.) God was sure being kind when he put Sargie and me together, something I thank Him for each and every day.
I hope Santa that you remind everyone that though you are the spirit of Christmas, the true meaning is through the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Without Him, we'd all be lost.
So Santa and whoever else may read this, from Sargie and me, it's with love and peace that we wish you and everyone, God Bless and Merry Christmas!
This man's work is finished for today. Let Christmas begin!
So are the tales from Pentoga Road...
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