A Real Christmas Story 2007
Dad got up about 6:30 a.m. on Christmas morning and a few minutes later he headed to the front door to get the newspaper. We had had a snow flurry and the porch was covered with snow. So --- Dad went to the garage and opened the garage door instead. At first, he was surprised to see a car in our driveway and thought, "Who came in last night -- one of the kids?" Then he looked up and saw a big red bow on top. Upon this discovery, he said to himself, "Oh, it must be a surprise for our neighbor." As he stood looking he then observed that the car was black and ...... it was a Lexis. His head was spinning trying to figure all of this out......
Dad then came into our bedroom where I was sleeping and said with some urgency, "You have got to see what is in our driveway." Putting on my robe I'm thinking -- oh, we've had a big snowstorm and the driveway is piled up with snow. He wants me to see it. We walked out together.
Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! What have they done? Oh, my gosh! It must be a mistake. Maybe it's the neighbors --- and, they parked it in the wrong driveway. I walked around to the back of the car and saw the license plate ----- it read, THX DAD. I began to cry. "It's yours, honey, it's yours", I said. Oh, my gosh, what have they done? We both cried some more......and more.
(As you can see, at 7:00 a.m. it's rather dark in Utah)
Get the camera! We've got to document this! After taking a few photos, we went into the house. Reality was just beginning to set in. I asked about the keys? Maybe it isn't really ours. Maybe it is a surprise for our neighbors. (We rehearsed all of the possibilities again). Dad said, "But it's black, and they know my taste for black cars. If it wasn't black......then maybe.......................". We cried again.
Then I remembered that Bob had called the day before. I told Dad about the conversation. Bob wanted the code to get into the gate. I gave him the code and then asked him if he was at the gate. He said "no" but that they may come later and would drop in to see us. I hung up the phone and never thought another thing about it.
Now we are realizing that HE must be "in" on this!! I think I said, "Oh, my gosh" a hundred times. We called Bob.........blubbering, of course. He tells us that he, Blair, and Tyler bought the car! We are speechless -- stunned. We cry some more. No words to describe our feelings. Bob says the keys are hidden in one of the flower pots outside. Without gloves we brushed away the snow in two or three of the flower pots ---- no keys. Freezing, we came back inside. Then Dad spotted the keys through the window. They were hanging on the back side of a Christmas sign that we had stuck in one of the flower pots. This can't be true! Dad said, "Go outside and see if the car is still there. If it's there, maybe it is true". Car -- still there! It's true.
The morning light has arrived. Dad wants to get that new car in the garage. He's feeling a tad "sentimental" about his old friend, the Avalon. Here he is pulling out the old and putting in the new.
Goodbye olde friend.
Dad always backs his car into the garage ---- like the batmobile -- ready to move out on a moments notice! If I did this there would be a big gash in the side of the garage.
Isn't it beautiful! Light tan upholstery - leather. Loaded with extras. We'll definitely need a tutorial from the dealership. GPS and camera to show what you are backing into ------can't believe it. Still stunned. But, now we may be able to find our way to the temple and back!
More pics.
Is this for real?
We talked (cried), of course, with Blair and Tyler. Tyler said to me, "remember mom how you felt when you gave me my new car; well, that's how we feel". Then he told Dad, "It wasn't necessary, but it was necessary".
Look at the wheels! Wow! Is this real?
Safely tucked inside the garage. Dad thinks maybe he should leave it there until Spring when the snow is gone and streets are dry again.
We still feel stunned ---- an unbelievable gift. We keep saying, "These things only happen on TV". Dad says, "If it (the car) is still here in the morning I'll know it's true".
The goodness and generosity of our children overwhelms us. We know that every one of you share in our joy, and that every one of you would have participated, if possible. As Harmony said so beautifully, "Oh, I wished we could have been a part of that". The truth is, of course, that ALL of you say "thank you Mom and Dad" everyday by the sweet and noble way you live your lives. That's the ultimate gift to parents.
On Christmas day Dad and I hardly ate a thing. We nibbled on a bit of candy, a cinnamon roll and a scone. Dinner never seemed to matter. Neither of us was hungry. Mostly we cried. Something must happen to your body chemistry when it's filled with such elation, such gratitude for beautiful children, and such deep emotion.
THXKIDS
arned a lot about blogs today. It's not easy to get a copy of a document up for all to see. I wanted you all to be able to download a PDF version of our family roster. It took a while, but I finally figured a way to get it to you. Click on the link to my own web page and you can download it from there. Happy New Year everyone! See you in '08!
