We ran out of beds at our house for Christmas 2010.

We don’t have a large family anymore. We were not very large to start with and many of our elders have passed on. Still, when all of us are together there are a few. We like to get together and have fun. Our Christmas present to everyone for Christmas 2010 was an airplane ticket to visit us on Idaho. All of our frequent flyer miles accumulated over the miles and miles of work travel made it possible for us to do this.

We had been working on remodeling the house and wanted everyone to enjoy the new changes. We had added a porch with heaters so that we could “extend” the time we used the porch. We had built a new bedroom and bathroom. We had redone the kitchen. We had a huge new deck. We had a (relatively) clean garage which was i contrast to having the worst garage in the family and getting ribbed about it.

My sister and her daughter and their golden retriever were the first to arrive. They each got a bedroom. My mother-in-law (Mom) was next to arrive. She got the den/bedroom with a new memory foam topper on the hide-a-bed. Before she came we took a long nap on it to make sure it was comfortable. We had one more family member arrive and he got the office-cum-bedroom.

Life revolved around the table. Sitting and eating, sitting and talking, siting and drinking tea. The table stayed brimmed with food. We washed dishes all day long and cooked in between and sometimes while someone was washing dishes. Each meal I changed something out on the table decorations so that it stayed interesting.

Laughter and enjoyment was had at that now-burned away table. We have in our memories images of the table and of the family enjoying things there. I am glad we have the images, even if only in our minds. We miss the table, it was handmade and very beautiful. Nothing can compare with the blessing of still having with us all of the family who sat at that table, including Mom who is 90.  We are blessed by the life that took place at that table.