Land of Fisher: 2009

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas, 2009

It’s Christmas Eve, 2009, and we are again visiting family in NC and I thought it would be a good time to revisit a couple of things I’ve written over the years about Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Day!

-Mike

New Christmas Perspective (December 2007)

We are visiting family in NC and as I'm sitting here on the computer, my 10 month old daughter is fast asleep in the next room. I'm sure the visions dancing in her head are far from sugarplums, more likely they have to do with tissue paper, Cheerios, and Dora the Explorer.

I feel like I've spent my whole life getting to tomorrow. I've always loved Christmas...the whole season and everything associated with it. I love giving gifts and I enjoy seeing the smiles when you surprise someone special with just the right thing!

But never in my life have I been in the position of giving "Christmas" to someone. It's a completely different feeling than giving a gift. I'm about to give a lifetime of meaning and memories, and begin a seasonal path that will hopefully lead to a life spent being kind, caring, conscientious, and giving. I feel a little overwhelmed and emotional that I am getting ready to pass on to my child one of the things I've loved the most about life: Christmas.

I feel a renewed sense of hope for a bright future...full of longevity and memories waiting to be created.

I hope you don't mind me sharing...I know this is all mushy, but I'm just feeling introspective, and more excited about Christmas than I think I've ever been.

Tonight's the night that I become Santa.

December 2004:

They say all hearts go home for Christmas, and mine is certainly in Kannapolis right now. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, and I’m missing being there the most during this time of the year.

I have wonderful memories of Christmas in K-Town, the lights downtown, and the Santa that used to float in the mill lake. Those times are still magical, especially in my desperately homesick mind, and I can’t help but to try to relive them every chance I get.

Christmas always started for my brother, sister, and I on the day that school would let out early for the Kannapolis Christmas parade. My parents would park in the Aycock Elementary School parking lot, and we’d hike over the railroad tracks to “our” spot across the street from Table Supply.

The streets would fill, the parade would start, and we would jump and peek, trying to spy Santa first. My mother would make popcorn, filling paper grocery bags, and we would stand together, bundled in blankets and laughing out loud.

Following the parade, we helped finish the last of the decorating that my father would start on the day after Thanksgiving. There were candles to put in the windows, ornaments for the trees, and my brother, sister, and I were always responsible for the downstairs tree…because that was where Santa would come.

The excitement and magic would increase exponentially for us as Christmas drew nearer. One year, we drove down to McAdenville, and I remember sitting on the exit ramp, in a long line of traffic. My mother asked my father if he heard noises, and my father said that he did. She looked out the front window, and the side ones, and this intense look came over her face. She turned to us in the back seat, and whispered, “Look out the back window. Be very, very quiet. Do you see anything?”

A red light was soaring through the sky. “Looks like a reindeer to me,” she whispered. My siblings and I were awestruck, staring at the backdrop of stars that the red light was moving through. Only seconds passed, it seems, until we were in McAdenville, the lights even more magical with the possibility of glimpsing more reindeer, or perhaps Santa himself.

Our weekends would weave through Christmas parties and last minute mall shopping. There’d be Christmas pageants at church, and fun activities at school—all leading up to Christmas Eve.

My mother’s entire extended family gets together on Christmas Eve, and everyone takes a turn hosting. As kids, we always enjoyed Aunt Peggy’s house, as well as Aunt Ann’s and Uncle Mel’s. All the cousins would be there, and we’d play, poking around the Christmas tree trying to figure out what may be in the biggest boxes. Grandma Adams used to give the kids these giant boxes of Juicy Fruit gum. We would try to chew whole packs, before we got noticed and reminded to chew just one piece at a time.

After the Christmas Eve gathering, we’d drive home, scouting for reindeer, looking for snowflakes—wondering if Santa had already come in our absence. Later, we’d go to church for Christmas Eve services and sing carols by candlelight. It would be after midnight before we got into bed, exhausted, but still more than excited.

Early Christmas morning, one of us kids would wake up early, and get the others out of bed. We would stand in front of my parents’ door and whisper, “I think Santa has been here.” We would whisper increasingly louder until we were acknowledged, and then wait impatiently for our parents to get up and get ready.

My father would go downstairs first, and get the fire going. Then he would position himself at the bottom of the stairs with the video camera. My mother would go down to the couch, and my father would give the signal that we could come on down.

We would bolt like lightning down the steps to see what Santa had brought, always in a frenzy, with wrapping paper flying, and gasping in magical wonder. We’d spend the day with grandparents and other family, coming home to nap in the midst of torn paper and new toys.

As I get closer to Christmas this year, the homesickness is increasing as much as the excitement. The memories help, but the only gift that matters to me is being with the ones I love. I hope you and your families have a wonderful, memorable, and blessed holiday. I can’t wait to get home for a visit and see all of you that I miss so much!

Posted via email from Michael's posterous

Friday, December 11, 2009

Lily sees The Princess and the Frog

This was Lily's first time going to the Movie Theater.

Pics from The Princess and the Frog

Here are the pictures from The Princess and the Frog--Lily's first Theater Movie! She did really well, enjoyed the popcorn, and didn't try to escape. (Much.) She spent a large portion of the movie on her knees and at one point remarked, "I not like this movie, let's go." But she stayed put, and at the end, said, "I love movies, we see 'nother one?" She wants to see Toy Story 3 now, and is excited about the possibility of going back to the theater. (Most likely because we let her have nonstop popcorn...)

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Michael's posterous

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Funny Christmas Toons...

Lily found a book that a friend of ours, Jill Roach, gave to us a couple of years ago. I thought some of the pics were funny... (The book is called Christmas Meltdown, by Dan Reynolds - available on Amazon here: CLICK! )

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Michael's posterous

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Outside Christmas Decorations

We finished putting up our outside Christmas lights today. Lily was REALLY excited about the Candy Canes--we bought more this year...I can't say that I'm thrilled with them, but Lily loves them! I can't believe we haven't had any snow yet--it looks like Southern Autumn out there!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Michael's posterous

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Galileo and Jupiter

It didn't come out too great, but this is a picture of Jupiter and its four main moons: Io, Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede. They are lined up the same way they were when Galileo discovered them over 400 years ago...I took the picture through my telescope, but still couldn't get the camera to focus well.

Posted via email from Michael's posterous

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Bob and Jean's Halloween Party

We went to our first Halloween Party of the season last night--next door at Bob and Jean's house! Lily went as a Princess, Peyton was Tinkerbell, Devin was Wolverine, and Mikaela was a pumpkin!