Six years ago on December 19th we were driving through the Texas panhandle in a horrible ice storm. We were on our way to Phoenix for Laura and Kourosh's wedding. If you've been following the weather you know that this week on December 19th there was a terrible snowstorm in that same area. It made me remember the events from 6 years ago, and then think about how much has changed since then!
When we finally arrived in Phoenix on December 21, 2005 we marveled at the 80 degree weather. We enjoyed a beautiful day for Laura and Kourosh's wedding, which was two days before Christmas. I thought a holiday without snow and cold would seem "wrong," but I was wrong! It was lovely! We enjoyed walking to and from Christmas Eve service that year in short-sleeved shirts - no jackets! We laughed at how funny inflatable decorations looked in yards with crushed granite as opposed to snow (or even grass). But then, those blow up things are funny-looking anywhere, aren't they? We exchanged gifts Christmas morning with the front door opened. It was different, special, and wonderful to experience the holiday in a new, fresh, sunny way.
In the past 6 years, we've been privileged to enjoy the beauty of the desert! We gained our second son-in-law. We adopted Calder after 20 years without a dog! Tom retired from the State of Michigan and got a new job in Phoenix. After 56 years of living in Michigan (32 of them in Muskegon), we moved 2,200 miles from everything and everyone that was familiar. We traded our "dream house" for a desert cottage. We gained a grandson...and then another...and another...and another! We adopted Abby (are we nuts??). And to top it all off, our four grandsons were joined by a granddaughter just a month before Christmas. Blessings upon blessings.... well, maybe except the dogs... just kidding... maybe...?
I wish we could see each and everyone of you during the holiday season. We will have a great Christmas celebration with that nice family who live around the corner from us, but you'll all be in our thoughts. And no, we won't miss the snow. Seriously. Not one little bit.
