Every other year our immediate family Christmas is celebrated on a date other than Christmas Eve or Christmas. With both daughters now married we adopted this every other year philosophy so they can join their husband’s families on the main holiday, something we are thankful the other families also appreciate and share.

This year we celebrated a week early as that was the date that worked the best on everyone’s schedules. We started on Friday night with homemade Runzas and French fries, the grandson’s favorite treat right now. Then it was time for a Christmas movie and vegging out.

The next day we enjoyed a lazy morning and about 10 a.m. opened gifts. Now there are Christmases when all the gifts have arrived and are neatly wrapped and tucked under the tree. Then there are those, like this year, when things either haven’t arrived, are too big to put under the tree or require the recipient to make the final choice.

Thus, it was at the Baties that Christmas 2022 became the “Christmas of the Notes.” Daughter No. 1’s gifts were too big to put under the tree so a box with a note and a plastic fork and straw stood in as representatives of her requested gifts, which were stashed under the bed in the guest room.

She was required to guess what the items represented and in the end her husband and sister figured out what they were before she did – a garden fork and a post driver.

Next was the son-in-law. After a no-shave November he had requested a straight-blade razor and strop. We had found an antique razor in excellent shape, but no matching strop. So, Hubby went online and found a suitable match. Of course, by the time we’d figured that all out we’d missed the delivery window, so a photo of said strop was printed off and placed in the box with the blade.

Then one of my gifts included a note too. A fancy box filled with a check and note stood in for the silverware chest I’d requested to replace the one I’d received following our wedding 37 years ago. It has been well used and loved, but the knife holders are all ripped and torn, and the dividers for the other silver have started to show severe wear as well.

My family knows me all too well and figured the best course was to let me select the replacement chest to coordinate with the amount of silver and the dining room woodwork.

I have been happily surfing websites for said replacement.

Finally, Hubby also received a note from me. He had requested books to read throughout the winter and like me, it’s better to let him select his own. So, he received cash in a vintage felt Christmas bell that my Mom used to give cash gifts in with a note on the back as to the proper use for said cash.

Hence it was a most noteworthy and fun Christmas for us. We hope your holidays are equally as fun and filled with special memories. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year from Whirlwinds!