Presents! Excitement! Appetizers! Games! Sledding outside by the river! Tenderloin & mashed potatoes! Smokey house! Cookies & pie! Ainsley, Molly & Jack playing outside with lanterns and sleds. Our first White Christmas in 15 years! And of course, an old man in a red suit – no, not Santa… your Papa, ha! One of the most amazing Christmases of all time. Grammy & I are so thankful we could all be together on this special day, I’m the luckiest guy in the world. Love you.
Christmas Day was lots of fun. You came to our house late morning and stayed the day. After opening lots of presents and stockings, I announced we would be having a surprise scavenger hunt…. I gave you the instructions and you read them aloud.
The object of the game was to go into eight different rooms and find one white envelope in each. Inside each envelope were letters… each one spelling a word. Put the words together in the proper sequence…. and an exciting message would emerge.
You were a critical player in the whole grand expedition… you were the only one who could read and spell! Emma and Camden – in particular – joined the grand expedition. in earnest, with Ainsley and Molly doing their thing along the way.
After lots of running around and craziness, you all returned to the Great Room and figured out the puzzle. Here’s what it spelled:
Although we’ve taken you to Disney World twice before, we haven’t been since 2007. We’ll all be together – all 13 of us – staying at the Wilderness Lodge within the Magic Kindgdom. We are going to have a blast – let the countdown begin!
The other day we were driving together in the Youk… it was you, Emma & Camden in the “way back.” Ainsley was in the second row… I was driving and Grammy was riding shotgun.
You guys often ask us to load a DVD, so we popped in one of the Classic Christmas cartoon series your Mom watched when she was your age.
You were controlling the DVD remote and next thing we know the show is playing … in Spanish.
You thought that was h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s, laughing up a storm with your nearby cousin and sister who felt the same way. Grammy said something about switching it to English mode so Ainsley could understand it, but you weren’t about to end the fun.
It was funny… we were laughing right along with you… I’ve never heard a cartoon in Spanish… and why not? It freshens the boredom of normal and delivers new perspective. Hearing familiar words spoken in a different language made me appreciate all those Dora the Explorer episodes.
When I think back to how shy you used to be, and I contrast those days with your now highly developed sense of humor, I smile with pride. It’s no mystery where you got it… your Mom & Dad have amazing pespectives and automatically find humor in everyday life.
Keep laughing your whole life Ben, it will keep you centered, whole and happy.
the Christmas movie you listened to in Spanish