A Little Beauty and a special delivery….

Sometimes in this busy life you have to stop, step back, and make a little detour in your plans.

Getting ready for the holidays has been a challenge, to say the least.  Shopping, wrapping gifts, parties, firesides, work, school gifts, neighbor gifts, recitals, cleaning, baking, and all the  wonderful, yet often overwhelming activities we plan and choose to participate in keep us more than busy.  Throw in a house full of recovering flu victims (of which I have managed to escape so far), a funeral, and some home projects, and the season can be down-right hectic.

Last weekend, two of my sisters planned a little special delivery surprise for our youngest sister, Julie, and her husband Travis, who has been battling liver cancer for about thirteen years and has recently been having some difficulties.  At the urging of my sisters (who are much more in tune with things than I am), we left behind our long “to-do” lists, braved the cold temperatures and snow, and headed north to Idaho to deliver some Christmas packages, festive treats, and a little cheer.

We completely surprised them.

It was a lovely visit.

We shed a few tears.

Christmas magic (that REAL kind of magic) was felt by all of us.

We didn’t stay long, and I’m pretty sure they will never be able to eat all the food we brought them, but it was a detour we needed and wanted to make.  (Thank you, thank you, for encouraging me to go!)  It was a small gesture of love and support for a dear family who is going through some tough times.

And that is what Christmas should be more about!

JoAnn

P.S.

♥Thank you to Linda’s husband David for driving us, and for his wonderful mother Zelma for the home-made bread, hot stew, warm beds, and then again for a delicious Sunday dinner.  She so reminded me of my own mother’s hosting abilities.

♥Thanks also for the bottles of home grown peaches, pears, cherries, and raspberries that Zelma sent to Julie and Travis.

(There is no comparison to delicious home bottled fruit and store bought canned fruit!)

♥  Thanks to Linda for taking the pictures of the pine trees at their in-law’s family farm, for working magic on them with special filters, and for letting me steal them for this blog.  (I did try to ask for permission, but she wasn’t answering her phone.)

♥Thank you Diane for coming up with the whole idea!

♥  Thank you for your prayers for Julie, Travis, and their family!