About The River

Monday, January 7, 2019

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Happy New Year

We had a lovely Christmas and New Year celebration. 
I hope you all did as well and the New Year is starting off well.

Our Christmas present was having our son Sam come home for the holidays. He is stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia and is completing his training with the United States Army.

Here is a fun little story about how our holiday started.
Sam asked that we not decorate the tree before he arrived home. We put on the lights, a few candy canes and the lucky nut.

One of our favorite authors, Holly Hobbie who wrote the Toot and Puddle books wrote one of our all time Christmas favorites, I'll Be Home for Christmas.

 In the story, Toot is visiting Scotland to celebrate his Great-Great Aunt Peg's birthday, she is 100 years old. She gives him her lucky nut.
When the boys were little we got our own lucky nut from a dear friend of ours who has now passed, named Mike. We put the nut on our tree every year. 
In the story Toot is delayed in his travels by an ice storm in Edinburgh and he continues to have bad weather as he reaches Boston. 
He has his lucky nut and makes it home in time for Christmas.

We put our lucky nut on the tree for Sam to make it home for Christmas.

 The day Sam was to fly in to Minneapolis, was perfect. No snow, ice or sleet was stopping him from getting home for Christmas.
 Here is the welcoming committee at the airport.



 Grandma and Grandpa are all excited!

Look who is home!
 


 
A very excited family to have Sam home for the holiday.
 
 
Sam was excited to spend time with family and friends.
 
 
Two special friends of Sam's made him some very special Christmas cookies.
 
 
Sam is now back at Fort Gordon. He will back to class Monday, January 7th. We will be back into our normal routine as well. It was a special two weeks. I think it will be one of the most memorable holiday's we have enjoyed. It was full of family, friends, games, laughter, good food, ice fishing, movies and lots of HUGS! Let me just say, receiving that Good Morning Hug from my boy, it was awesome.
 
 ♥
Carla
 

18 comments:

  1. I am so happy for you. Brings back memories of my big brother returning home from the army in '68. I will pray for Sam today as he returns to his base at Ft. Gordon.

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  2. I'm so happy for you that you had such a lovely family Christmas. Hugs from love ones are the best. Sam looks like a handsome young man. Lovely family photos. I love the nut story.
    Take care, now you can start to plan your spring garden.
    Hugs, Julia

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  3. What a wonderful blessing! Look at all those happy smiles at the airport! I'm so happy that you got to be together. Love that sweet book and the story of the nut! Happy New year my friend! And thanks for all the encouragement you've given me with my hiking! Sweet hugs, Diane

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  4. Wonderful Christmas memories. I especially love all the handmade signs at the airport. All the best for 2019.

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  5. Your life is mirroring mine in so many ways. Iz is off to her first day of classes on campus in Boston today and I'm here at home trying to get back into the routine of an empty house again. The break was really nice and we had both girls home for most of it. Sam looks SO handsome and grown up!!

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  6. Carla, I'm so glad that Sam made it home safely for the holidays! I'm also glad that you all were able to make so many special new memories. As a mom is always away from her children (they live in Florida), I know how hard it was to say goodbye and that while you go through your routine, he is always with you! Love and hugs!

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  7. Aww so glad you got him home for Christmas.

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  8. Such a happy post, it does my heart good! Sam is looking good! I am very interested in these Toot & Puddle stories. We love Beatrice Potter, so I think we would like these. Though we are old, we still love stories about the little creatures. I love the illustrations! I have heard of Holly Hobby, but did not know it is a real person who is an author! I am off to Amazon to check her out!

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  9. Oh my dear Carla, what an amazing post … I have to say it bought tears of joy to my eyes.
    I am just so pleased you all enjoyed this marvellous Christmas-time together.
    Memories like this are so precious and will stay in your hearts and minds forever.
    God bless.

    Happy New Year Wishes.

    All the best Jan

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  10. How absolutely wonderful!! I love all the happy faces in those photos!!

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  11. I am so hapopy for you that Sam got to get home and spend quality time with your family!!! Please let Sam how thankful I am for his service!!! Amazing young man!

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  12. Carla this post just made me smile and tear up a little bit. How wonderful for all of you. I love all the family pics too. The one with grandpa flying the flag over towards Sam is so precious. Sam is so handsome and looks so great in his army gear. I am beyond happy for you that you got to have him home for Christmas. I love the cute Nut story and I am going to have to get that book and a special nut to give to my grand girls for a nice little Christmas tradition. That is really so sweet. Happy New Year. Praying for good things to happen this year for Sam. Hope the training will continue to go well. Hugs xoxoxooxoxoxoxooxxo
    Kris

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  13. I so enjoyed seeing the pictures of you enjoying your sweet Sam home for the holidays! What a fun nutty story! Love it! So glad that all went well for Sam's flight, and that you had such a perfectly delightful holiday together! Sometimes routines are good to help get over the sadness of saying goodbyes! Blessings and hugs :)

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  14. I love the story, how sweet. What a great homecoming he had. The pictures are priceless!

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  15. What a wonderful time! So many wonderful memories were made!

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High Fives from Wisconsin!