The Christmas Attack- by Julian, age 7

Once, years ago, there were Vikings and the people of England had to keep on giving them gold for them to stay away. The English wanted to stop giving them gold.

It was Christmas day, and the English didn't fight in the winter, especially not when it was Christmas, but the Vikings came on Christmas day and attacked!

The English king, Alfred, had to flee! He worked in a lady's house like a servant, but she didn't know who he was. She told him to watch the cakes on the fire while she went to get firewood. He was concentrating on what he would do about the Vikings so much that the cakes burned!

He decided to send messages to all his warriors to plant their crops and then come to headquarters.

So then, they attacked the Vikings and the Vikings were surprised! The Vikings surrendered and then the English won!

THE END.

Let’s Go See - by Avrynn, age 8

Along the hills near Bethlehem, lived a shepherd’s family.

Hannah was an eight-year-old daughter.

Hannah calmly helped her dad, because mom had a baby.




Hannah enjoyed counting the sheep to make sure that they were all there. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven and on and on.



Tenderly, she held the tiniest sheep of all, because she cared about her.

Every night she watched the lights go out in Bethlehem.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared!

Hannah could tell that her brave dad was scared.

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, for the Lord Jesus Christ is born this night, in the land of Bethlehem.”

Hannah thought "I actually saw an angel!”

“Let’s go see!” Hannah brought her baby sheep. Delightfully, they walked to town, then they saw the manger. As they walked closer, they saw the baby’s bed. It wasn’t a bed, it was a feeding-trough. Hannah, the 8-year-old learned a lesson: Christmas is about Christ.

No Home is Like Our Own - by Anali, age 10

In a dirty, damp hollow tree, three flirtirans sat clumsily waiting for spring to come suddenly to brighten those cold, dark winter days. Violently, Willy-woo stomped down the stairs and crouched near the fireplace. It happened so quickly that it startled the other two firtirans so that they jumped in fright. All that racket made the old, hollow tree go "Creak! Crack!" and it split right down the middle. What a sad sight to see three young flirtirans homeless all throughout that cold winter night. When morning came, it was not dark or scary like they had thought it would be. It was white and gray, with rabbits hopping around, leaving their pawprints behind.
"Oh, so this is what winter looks like," muttered Pippy-doo, the second flirtiran, with and awe-struck face.

A little rabbit hopped up to them and asked, "Who are you?"

"We are lost, homeless flirtirans, looking for a home," answered the oldest flirtiran named Doodle-Doodle-roo!

"So, if you know of the nearest hollow tree, will you be so kind as to tell us where it would be?" requested Willy-woo.

So the little rabbit told them to come to his house where all his family lived. It was a den that was lit by a large fireplace, it was so warm htat it melted all of the cold winter snow away from the den. It was a quaint little home, but the hollow tree was all the flirtirans had ever known, so when they saw that nice little place the rabbits called home, they stared in awe because it was not like their own. The little rabbit showed the three flirtirans to his Pa, who knew of each hollow tree nearby. They told him why they were there, and their response was quite a scare.

"Not one in the forest, not one anywhere, except for the one haunted by the old rabid hare," answered the odd Papa rabbit.

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Mama rabbit made soup and the flirtirans had a feast which was bigger than what they had in a week.

They ate, slept and when morning came, they were in for the long day ahead of them. They said their goodbyes and headed to the old haunted hollow tree. But when they were out of sight of the little rabbits' home, a storm blew up and darkened their way with gloom. Then they saw a hole with a sign that read, "Mr. Mole's Hole."

They knocked on the door and stared at the floor and wondered what was a mole, then the door flung open and their wondering and hoping was no more, for there in front of them was a dirty, ugly mole.

Looking around, the mole finally found three flirtirans there on the ground and grumbled, "Oh, ok, I'm awake, so what is so important that you wake me out of hibernating?"

"Oh, please, Mr. Mole, it's so very cold and there is a storm coming to smite our poor little souls, so, if you would be so kind let us stay only until the storm goes away," pleaded Peppy-doo.

Mr. Mole nodded to them to come in and he led them to a room with a bed and brought them a piece of bread on a red, lead plate. So they ate, hogging it all. The storm felt like it would never end and it got so desperately boring that it made Willy-woo, who was no good at entertaining himself, ask the mole when he was born.

"Now what made you think such a thing?" insisted the old mole.

Soon the storm stopped, so they set of on the trail to the golden hawk's house, who would fly them to the haunted hollow tree.

When they got there, he was not a mole who lived in a hole who thought that he was young, but was very old, nor was he a strange little rabbit with too long ears, but a hawk that eats mice whole!

The hawk was perched on a tree that swung with the breeze. It had no leaves like all the other trees, but it looked mostly dead, but still the hawk even liked scene even if it was truly dead altogether. He flew down, and it frightened them. He was very tall and it made them feel small, like they were laid down near the ground. They knew that he would not eat them, due to the fact athat they had too much fur, but one could not wonder what was behind those bright, yellow eyes. It made you despise looking at him at all.

"So," said the howk in a deep, evil voice, "What brings you to these cold, dark parts were only screetch owls, wolves and hawks as bold as monarchs embark?" said the hawk. Although it was cold, that was not what made the poor little flirtirans shiver or make their teeth chatter. It was the story they had heard that when one goes in, they never come back.

The hawk agreed to fly them to the haunted outback. They hopped on his back and they flew over swamps overflowing with bats, huge yellow cats, and screetch owls, catching mice and rats. Finally, he landed in a long, narrow stretch that once was a flower patch.

"This is as far as I will go. Just follow this path and you'll get where you're goig, said the scary hawk in the deep hollow voice. They walked down the path, then they stopped and looked up and saw a hollow oak tree.

There was no rabid hare, no wolves or bears, in fact, there was nothering there except some bushes that would have berries in the spring. They rushed inside and were amazed to see it was just like their old hollow tree, but bettter, for it was new.

You see, a little change is not that bad because what had happened did not make them sad. It made them glad because they had a new, hollow tree to call "home".

REASON for the SEASON-Coming Closer to Him - Aliia, age 13

Ashley Longwarth had always known that her parents didn’t have a lot of money, but this year, as the season of Christmas was coming near, she knew it was going to be the leanest Christmas she’d ever experienced. Her dad had lost his job and her mom had to stay home with young, one-year old and somewhat sickly Lila. Ashley was trying her best to deal with it and keep on with the spirit of the season as if nothing had changed. But she knew everything was different and she couldn’t hide from this huge obstacle.

Ashley had been thinking about this the entire time she had been holiday shopping with her sister, Samey. They’d rushed in and out of stores with hardly a word, wearing weary, concerned faces. Samey had glanced over at Ashley. She stopped right next to the same store they’d just left and determinedly put her foot down.

“OK, what is it?”

Ashley turned around, caught off-guard. “What?” she put her hands up on her hips.

“Like, you’re usually always talking to me and having a great time…we float around some stores window-shopping, get some hot coca and then relax…but look at you now! You’re puffing and huffing about like a mother hen about to explode and attack somebody!” Samey sighed and sat down on a bench nearby. “What’s up? What’s on your mind?” she said, exasperated.

Ashley glanced around and just stood there, looking at her 17-year old sister who sat on the bench, prodding her on with her eyes. Giving in, she collapsed on the bench by her sister.

“Just look at this place!” For a moment they sat watching the expectant people bustling by.

“What do you see?” continued Ashley.

“People,” said Samey. “Lots and lots of people.” She grinned sheepishly.

“No,” replied Ashley, shrugging. “I mean, like, Santa Clause, the reindeer, the lights and trees, employees imitating elves in their dress… the many thousand people who rush through the mall buying and buying, trying to satisfy their fill for a “perfect Christmas…” she sighed, putting her head on Samey’s shoulder. “What’s the real reason for Christmas? Presents? Santa Clause? Trying to impress people with “glorious” decorations? Is this what it’s all about?’

When they got home, both of the teenagers were worn out and soon had covered themselves up in their plush, warm blankets and dozed off. Their family, a bit confused by the rush, soon followed. Alex and Xavier, the twins, toddled off to their room and then mom and dad to theirs with sleeping Lila in their arms.

*****************************************************************************************************************

The next day was Saturday. Ashley lay awake, profoundly pondering on things in her own world, lying in her bottom bunk she shared with Samey.

“I just can’t believe it! Samey couldn’t answer my question yesterday! Shouldn’t everybody know what Christmas is all about anymore? I mean, if it’s all about Jesus, why is it so changed? Is it about giving or getting? This year has been so hard…It’s like, if there is a real God, why isn’t everything easier? I guess that’s the purpose of it all, huh? Getting what you really needed during the year? She turned her head to her pillow, blocking out the light that came from the window near her.

“Or getting the things God didn’t give you…is that it?” she thought aloud. “Has God forgotten us? Or have we forgotten him by not going to church?’’ she put her face in her pillow and cried. “Are you there, God? Do you actually hear me like you used to, 4 years ago?” She just couldn’t organize that huge inventory of thoughts that surged through her. Where was God?
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Usually, on Sundays, Ashley’s family stayed home because, supposedly, they no longer felt the conviction to go to church. But this Sunday was different. Grandma and Grandpa were coming to visit for the weekend.

When they arrived, everybody was helping pull off coats and get them into the cozy house when Grandma stopped everything.

“Wait, children, wait…who wants to come to church with me?” Grandma smiled and turned to us, her serene but calm face glowing.
“Mother,” said my mom, turning to Grandma, “You know we had stopped going, didn’t you?” she fingered the coat she had just put on the coatrack thoughtfully, obviously warring with her thoughts.

Grandma shrugged, at a loss. “But why, darling, haven’t you gone? Don’t you think you still need the words of the Lord?” Grandma’s tone hinted that she was gesturing to Mom’s behavior towards religious things.

Mom looked at Grandma in disgust. “Mama, we’ve talked about this before. I’m not going.” Now mom’s voice showed evident anger. “Besides, the children wouldn’t be interested- would you, children?”

Some of us backed away, aware that mom wasn’t necessarily interested in traitors and we all knew she had had other plans for the day. Even so, Grandma and Mom both were surprised.

“Mom, I want to go,” said Ashley, turning to them, her curiosity soaring.

“Me, too,” Samey followed.

Grandma grinned. Mom grimaced, shrugging, murmured something about not wanting Grandma to fill our heads with old people’s religious things, and stormed away like a bear returning to hibernate in its den.
*****************************************************************************************************************
Ashley was perched impatiently on a wooden pew in an antique church. It reminded her of the porcelain collectable figurines going to their stately little porcelain church that sat gleefully posing in the Store window of “Grandpa Joe’s Old-fashion Collectables Store”. She chuckled inside at the thought.

Looking over to her right, she spotted Grandma in her flowery, ornery dress and straw hat, sitting with dignity next to the shrugging, wrinkled conservatory Grandpa who was continually nodding off. The twins sat on either side of them, making crashing sounds with their mouths and cars out of their hands, pretending to be in a collision, their two wavy brown heads together as if they were concentrating with great interest on something.

Ashley now gazed over at Mom and Samey. Mom was trying not to betray herself with her countenance, but her displeasure was evident, being the simple opposite of Samey. Samey sat eagerly enduring the pastor’s message and soaking every word in. Finally, Ashley began to use her eyes and ears to heed the words of the pastor.
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“Cast your cares upon the Lord,” Pastor Rickley was saying, “For he cares for you! I mean everyone! Not just those who go to church of pray, or pay their tithes- those lowly of heart or stature in life, or just those who feel lost...”He looked at his crowd with compassion and love. Suddenly, the crowd saw the film of tears coming into his eyes.

“As a child growing up with a family that was filled with the Holy Spirit and a pastor as my dad, I had never really understood what made my family and their church so happy and made tears come into their eyes. I had seen this and marveled, wondering what motivated them and made them so dramatic. I had gone to Sunday-school, I had enjoyed the stories and activities, but deep, deep down I really wanted to know what drove people to love God so much, to go to dangerous countries to tell others about God, what made them unafraid to tell anyone about Him…it just puzzled me…and then, at about 12 or 13, I started feeling God reaching out into my life…he would show me things I had never seen before, make me understand appreciate things I never had before…it seemed I had all of a sudden become closer to God.” He now smiled, put his hand through his hand through his hair, and continued.

“And that, my dear friends, was the very year we went to Africa and gave up all our luxuries we had. We had plenty of money, food, clothing, good neighbors and friends, doctors, stores, cars, liberty…billions of things we, as people here in the US, take for granted…even our family we took for granted.” He sighed.

“That was the year my mother died of liver cancer along with other diseases building up on her while we were in Africa. It tore me apart. I was ruined, I had thought, and I wished I had died instead or gone along with her.”
****************************************************************************************************************

Stunned, Ashley opened her eyes wide and played with her hands. “Was this what happened to those who trusted in God so deeply?” she thought, looking nervously and anxiously at her mother. Someone who she deeply loved would die? Did she really want to be involved with this?

Even so, Pastor Rickley continued, despite her tremulous thoughts.

“My family, the 4 of us kids and my dad soon returned to the US, and to here, torn, broken-down, and wondering if God had actually called us there. But I believe the hardship made us become closer…both to God and to each other. The first Sunday we were back, we were ministered to with a breathtaking comeback…Ok, to make a big, long story short,” he hesitated, trying to find the words, “God showed us what we’d really been missing-faith! We had been worrying on how to get food, water, housing, clothing, money…just how to live-we ha needed to cast our cares upon God! He cares like none could care, he loves like none could love, he provides, blesses like none could do! Don’t you love that, my dear congregation?”

The crowd clapped and shouted “Amens”, “Halleluiahs”, and Grandma even put her hands up in the air like a servant, pleading for mercy or worshipping her king. Mom stood up, yanked her purse up along with her, and stormed angrily out of the room. Ashley hardly noticed, and, being perfectly fascinated, confused, but slightly amazed. She felt like Pastor Rickley had as a young child- curious, hungry to find what this was all about. Pastor Rickley took the microphone again into his hands.

“And then, about a month later, we returned to Africa to do what God had told us to do along with a strong weapon newly renewed and restored, ready for the many battles it would face during the next 7 years I would spend there-until I was 20- having gone to the growing but plentiful Bible-college my father had planted, helped build our new church building, and helped bring hundreds to God. I returned, planning only to go to college and return to the mission field… but there, again, I needed to trust God…I came home to Massachusetts, went to college, and I met the beautiful wife I have. Then God told me to “migrate” to Baltimore and plant this wonderful church…and all in all, I thank God for everything…especially the hardships, which have brought me closer to home base with him. Amen? So, incorporating the holiday season, cast all your cares on God for every detail, down to just decorating that Christmas tree with bows! Amen?” he grinned. “Let’s pray.”
*****************************************************************************************************************

“Bye, Dad! Get a job!” said Ashley with enthusiasm in her voice.

Throwing his scruffy dark green coat on and shoving his feet into his boots, Dad leaned down over 5-foot Ashley and kissed her on her forehead.

“Bye, honey, be good, ok?” he grabbed the door-nob and swung it open. Then he was gone in a swirl of snowflakes and wind. Going up on her tippy-toes, Ashley looked out the peek hole in the door.

“He’s gone,” she thought. “Now or never!” she raced down the hallway and paused near her parent’s room. The door was cracked open enough for her to steal a glance inside. Forgetting herself, Ashley peered in.

“Why is Mom always so correct?” said Mom, wrenching her hands and staring at the floor. “What does she have that makes her so persuading?” she put her hand through her hair, disturbed.

Ashley had seen this conversation between Mom and her mom’s conscience before. Ashley had always wondered what had gone so wrong between Mom and Grandma and what caused the constant tension whenever Christianity or anything religiously related was mentioned.

“I wonder if I’ll find out…”thought. “If mom saw me eavesdropping now…I’d be dead meat! Nope, looks like I won’t find out now… ” she rethought, now. Starting to back up, she saw her mother hurriedly pace towards the door. Just as her mother was about to open the door and Ashley was jumping out of the way, crash! She fell.
*****************************************************************************************************************

“Whoa, “she murmured aloud. “What is this place?” she felt like Alice in Wonderland.”

A familiar, friendly voice answered her, “This is my den.”

Ashley whirled around, still on the wooden floor.

“Oh, it’s you, Dad! Gosh, you creeped me out!”
*****************************************************************************************************************
Sitting in a comfy, plush seat by her dad he finally revealed to her what she’d been missing.

“Your Mother and Granny… had a fight- a huge fight- 4 years ago, when you were 9… your mom got so fed up about how correct your grandma has always been, and a bunch of rubbish. But finally your Grandma and Mom noticed what their biggest difference was.” He paused, putting his arm about her shoulder and giving it a tight squeeze.

He sighed. “Your mother never really believed the same things your Grandma did-in Jesus and all, and she was constantly thinking Grandma was against her. So that’s when your mom stopped going to church. She didn’t believe. And, uh that’s why I made this my study, den, thinking room, library…”he playfully whispered, now, into her ear. “My hideout!”

Ashley smirked, amused. “Dad,” she grinned more, scoffing in a playful way. “Your hideout? Come on! From what? Us, the crazy, scary monsters?’

“No,” he said, and his countenance suddenly dropped from the playful talk to serious talk. “Your mother doesn’t like going to anything that has to do with religion or such, nor, of course, in the house, so I make my church my home or I go to a men’s bible-study.” His voice dropped to a whisper again.

“I’m going to tell you a big secret…don’t tell anybody without letting me know, ok?” she nodded, eager to hear what was all locked up in her dad’s store of thoughts, adventures…anything.

“I really hate that we stopped going to church…I didn’t go to church Sunday because it pains me to see that your mother couldn’t love such an amazing person like God…I mean, I used to be like her until one day when going to an interview. Well… to make a long story short, God got hold of the scruff on my neck and directed me to a man he sent and just meeting that man changed my life.” He paused, his smile returning to his face. “So that’s what I sometimes do when I’m gone, Ash is go search after God with the guys in the bible- study.”

He picked up an old, tattered book and handed it to her.

“Here, read this,” he said, getting up and grabbing a bag nearby, “I got to go!” he ran to a door Ashley hadn’t noticed that stood stationed in the corner of the room.

“Bye!” Then Dad was gone to his bible study.

Ashley opened up the first page of the book. “The Holy Bible,” she read.
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“Finally, she thought in immediate excitement. “The real truth…Jesus is the Light of the world? He came to give to us... he came to show the way so then we might receive from him…accept him... she gasped. “So there’s the reason…he came as a baby so he’d grow up and sacrifice his life!” She zoned into a into a world of awe.

“I wonder…” she went over to one of the various bookcases that stood against the wall in her father’s den. Searching through the books, looking for a book she had seen many times as a young child, she noted the many Christian books and booklets her father had collected. Oh, there it is, thought Ashley, pulling out a book about a little boy who brought his gift to Jesus. Paging through it, a revelation finally hit her.

“That’s it,” she gasped, her pending question beginning to unfold its mysterious answer. “People are forgetting, in all their Christmas shopping and festivities of the holiday, to put Jesus on their holiday gift-list! It’s supposed to be his birthday, isn’t it?” a new thought began to set in, too. “Imagine what it would be like to wake up to your birthday and everybody is giving gifts and celebrating everyone else-and not giving anything to you, not even acknowledging your birthday! I just can’t imagine…Oh, that I could give something to Jesus, like that little drummer boy thousands of years ago…but what could I give to a king, the King of the world? I have nothing worthy!”

Determined to the last answer and find that gift, she hastily jumped up from where she was and ran to find Samey to tell her of what she had found-and what they had to find.

That week, both of the girls searched to find that special thing to give, but were always at a loss. With their faith growing, Ashley and Samey continually visited “Dad’s Den” to study the Word and talk over many things that had come to contradict their faith. For instance, Mom’s continual hostility to religious things and that she was getting suspicious of them constantly going into the supposed “storage room”. They were trouble, but at the same time longing for her to one day venture in and find what they had found…the Truth. But somehow, they had been told to wait for God to do something.
*****************************************************************************************************************

Dad excitedly burst into the Den, his face aglow, holding a reasonably-sized box in his hands.

“Guess!” he said, holding the box up for them to see.

“Hmm… elves!” said Ashley, mischievously.

“No, no, better,” said Samey. “Summer in the Bahamas!” she giggled, pretending to shiver in the warm room with a fireplace.

Dad grinned, placing the box carefully on the glass coffee table in the middle of them. “Nope!”

He opened the box and pulled something out. “Mom and our gifts…New bibles!”

Samey and Ashley held their breaths, exited but worried at mom’s reaction to this new kind of gift. But dad continued.

“And,” he pulled couple of pamphlets out of the box, also. “Invitations to a special concert!”

The girls, unable to contain themselves, shouted simultaneously, “A Christmas concert!! Yay!”

Dad told them to calm down and huddle. “Ok, here’s what we’re gonna to do.”
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Mom was walking with a nice long sparkling black dress, stiletto heals, and a red scarf down a parking lot with some new friends. They were chatting non-stop and trying to converse with her all at the same time while she just stared forward, not saying a word. A huge, 10-foot tall tree, with a large, 12-foot fake pot sat under it staring down at them. Lit and decorated, it stood before them in its glory. Some people had gathered to gawk at the gorgeous tree; others had come to take photos underneath it with their children. Suddenly, as the 5 women approached it, they all stopped talking. They simply stood there, looking up at it. One of the ladies suddenly broke the silence.

“Oh, it’s just a tree,” said Mrs. Galena as if it were as insignificant as a grain of salt, waving her hand about carelessly. “Come along, ladies! We must be going-”

“No, I’ve seen it before,” said Miss Longworth, her breath nearly taken away. “Somewhere…”

“Somewhere, somewhere in your memory,” said one woman, mockingly.

“No, it was a long time ago…there was a door…right…there.” She walked around the tree and pointed to a spot that almost looked hinged, like a door. Walking up to it, she pushed on it. The women following her giggled teasingly behind her, as she looked past her shoulder.

Then, Poof! They nearly fell into a bright, glittering party room, with a disco ball, where some where singing to the music. The women behind her slowly dispersed into the crowd and she was all of a sudden walking through the crowd, alone in awe. Christmas music was expertly being played by a band, and some swayed to the music. Gradually she saw tables of cookies and goodies and people standing behind them, coordinating and serving with joy and willingness to serve anybody, all wearing cute little Santa hats. Intending to ask one of the ladies where she was, she walked up to one of the tables.

“Um, Miss, I was wondering…”she peered up into the well-make-upped face. “Wait a moment…Samey?!” Samey looked up into her face, her expression confused. “What are you doing-?”

Instantly, just as mom was about to raise her voice and begin a long, angry tirade, the electrical guitar struck a high, streaming screeching yet beautiful note. A large chorus poured quickly onto the stage and the music began. A young girl, dressed in a loose, light blue dress to the floor stepped up onto the stage. Her long, wavy, gold-brown hair streamed about her shoulders and her coffee-colored eyes glowed. She raised her microphone to her lips.
“Come, just as you are,” said the beautiful voice, reaching out the very edges of the room.

“Ashley!?” gasped Mom in a single amazed breath.
*****************************************************************************************************************

As the concert was ending, Samey kept glancing over at mom, who continually was putting her hand up to her face.

“Oh,” thought Samey excitedly, “She’s crying! Oh, God, You were in this! Thank you, Lord, so much for this opportunity!” she put her arm about mom’s shoulder comfortingly. It seemed she hadn’t wanted the comfort and was trying to act tough and keep her dignity, but gradually her body relaxed and she felt her begin to slowly and softly sob. The sobs began to get louder, and then Samey looked at her face. She turned and gave her a hug.

“Oh, Mom!” said Samey.

“Samey, this is where I met your father! This is where God first knocked on my door! This is where history was made…” she kept crying. “And this is where he met me again…but this time the door opened!” they just stood there, then, and then Mom felt a little cold hand touch her shoulder.

“Mom, how’d I do?” whispered Ashley. Mom embraced her.

“Honey, I found God through your voice!” the chorus finished with “O Come, Let Us Adore Him”.

“No, the angel’s voices,” said Ashley, and she raised her face to look up at a beautiful light that shone in through the ceiling. The entire crowd looked up as the chorus began O Holy Night.”

Ashley sighed. Suddenly, as she gazed up at the star, a breathtaking realization came over her.

“Oh, Mom, Samey, Dad,” (who had come to join them after helping open up the vent to see the star) “I know what I can give Jesus! Like mom and the drummer boy, I can give the most important thing to me…my heart!”
************************************************************************************************************

Ashley jerked awake, peeling the covers off her body, jumping out of her bed. “Samey, Samey! Wake up! It’s Christmas Day!! Wake up!!” she grabbed her pillow and playfully threw it on Samey’s head. Waking up, Samey climbed numbly and nimbly out of the top bunk.

“It’s Christmas Day! Wake up, everybody!!”They shouted, skipping through the hall down to the kitchen, smelling hot coca and cookies. Striding happily into the room, both girls walked up to their mom and gave her a kiss at the same time, sneaking cookie batter from the bowl she had been stirring. Realizing what they were doing, Mom playfully smacked at their hands and smiled. The twins, waking up the moment they heard their crazy teen-ager sisters running through the hall, skipped happily into the room.

“Morning, Mommy!” said Xavier.

“Mommy is it Christmas yet?” said Alex, pleadingly.

“Yes,” said mom.

Dad walked in sleepily, his huge slippers dragging behind. He, too, walked up to mom, gave her a kiss, and, as uniform, swiped a lick of batter. “Good morning, Peoples!” everybody echoed.

“The pancake batter is in the fridge, Samey, and Ashley-” Lila cried in the bedroom, hearing all the commotion. “You mind getting Lila?” nodding, Ashley headed to Lila’s room.

“Thanks, God, for this Christmas,” prayed Ashley as she headed down the hall, “Thanks for the joys, the tests and trials, the many things you brought us through…”she picked up Lila out of her crib, soothing her by bouncing her on her hip and grabbing her blanket to wrap about her, “Now I can have a new and real spirit towards the season, God, and I can enjoy it…knowing what it’s all about…as long as I never forget what it. Thank you, God for the hardships, Lord, that made me closer to you.”