I have spend a bit of time thinking about Christmas past today so I thought I would mention my favorite Christmas. It was Christmas 2008. Several years prior to this we had moved the Keppeler family gathering to the little country church where Grandma and Grandpa were attending. We did this because our family of nearly 50 people didn't fit so well in Grandma and Grandpa's house anymore. We had 4 generations ranging in age from newborn to 88 years. In 2008 Mom and Dad asked Grandma if she would like to have an open house gathering at home. She said yes and was very excited at the thought of having her house full of family again.
Grandpa's Alzheimer's was taking its toll along with other health complications that fall. In fact, over Thanksgiving he had a really bad spell in which we thought he may not make it to Christmas. He pulled out of that and was doing quite well - relatively speaking - by Christmas. It was a fantastic day. Most of the family was able to make it. Some even lingered into the late evening hours. We all felt "at home" again. Grandpa was able to eat with us. He watched his great-grandchildren play on the floor infront of his chair. He would even reach out to touch a toy when one of them presented it to him. He smiled and laughed ever so slightly as he watched them. It was truly priceless.
I wanted to freeze time in those moments. There was a glimpse of the old Grandpa sitting in that chair - his chair as we all knew it. For as long as I can remember that spot was reserved for Grandpa. A few chairs had filled the space over the years, but this one would be the last. It had the lift system in it. With the push of a button, it would raise him up or lower him back down. I charished every moment of that Christmas believing it would be the last one with Grandpa. Everyone commented on how great it was to be back in the house for Christmas. It felt kind of like old times.
We spent so many Christmas evenings there. We never had much for presents, but there was always fun. We would play cards around the kitchen table. We sang carol many year while Grandma or Aunt Linda played the piano. Grandma could only play by ear so she didn't play long but always sat near the piano. When we had snow we would bundle up and go out to sled down the big hill behind the house or ride across the fields on 4-wheelers. I will never forget the year Uncle Lee found an old car hood at the junk yard and we held on for dear life while being pulled behind the tractor. There were wrestling matches on the living room floor and games upstairs when we were little. There were a few years when Grandma or Grandpa would have to drive our family 200 yards down the road to our house because our diesel car would not start in the frigid temperatures.
Those days are gone now. That was Grandpa's last Christmas. There will most likely never be any Christmas gatherings like those again. We are all grown up now raising our children and beginning new family traditions from all over the country. I will always cherish these memories and look back with joy in my heart. I hope Grandpa enjoyed that last Christmas and I am thankful that we could come together as a family to make that day wonderful. I hope he was able to observe his legacy in those hours and was pleased.
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