The alarm on my cell phone trilled its gentle song, beckoning me to rouse from a cozy sleep.  I blinked, trying to focus on the time.  7:20 am.  On a Saturday morning.
The sun was beginning to glow on the horizon.  Dark blue blended into pale yellow and orange with a dark pink along the ground.  I stared out my bedroom window, contemplating what I needed to do before we hit the highway.
I packed the food, wrapped gifts and my guitar into our car.  Walter joined me in loading the car and we backed down our driveway into the ever-brightening day.
Virtually no snow but a crystal covering of frost glistened on the fields of stubble as we drove north out of Regina. We like to take the backroads whenever we can to avoid the city traffic and stoplights.  We rode in silence for several miles.  Both of us were letting the coffee wake us up before we attempted conversation!
Walter played a Slacker Radio all-Christmas station as we drove to our first festive event of the season.  With no snow and unseasonably warm weather this fall, I certainly haven't felt in the "Christmas spirit" yet.  But as we drew closer to our destination near Melfort, with the music softly setting the tone, I knew I'd get into the mood once we saw all our NAIM family for the annual American Thanksgiving/Christmas party.
We were greeted by a few friendly faces and barking dogs welcoming us to the Alsbachs' farm.  The smell of wood smoke wafted our way.  As we walked in to the house, warmth and tasty aromas filled our senses.  Hugs, hellos and helpful hands assisted us in unloading our burdens and guiding us into the large meeting room.  Soon we were happily engaged in conversations with several of our co-workers of Saskatchewan. It was great to see everyone!
A table was ready to hold our potluck dishes and another was set up with coffee and other beverages.  We placed our gifts under a tabletop Christmas tree, ready for the crazy gift exchange.  The large garage-turned youth room was arranged with comfy couches, a wood stove and ping-pong table serving as a dining space with festive tablecloth adorning it.  Everything was prepared for this gathering.
Neal cleared his throat and welcomed us all.  He led in a prayer and then parents lined up with their children to dish up their plates.  It felt weird for us not to have our own children with us this year.  I remember them playing with their fellow MK's (missionary kids) and disappearing outside or in another part of the big house.  They could hardly wait for the gift exchange, as well.  Now we watched as the other families guided their kids and cleaned up spills!
We all enjoyed the delicious meal and no one sat in one place for long.  It was wonderful to mingle and catch up with everyone's lives, families, ministry and of course, hunting tales!
When we couldn't fit another morsel of dessert into our full tummies, Rick and I pulled out our guitars and music to accompany a carol-sing.  Folks called out favourites and we stumbled through the sometimes complicated chord progressions.  Of course, someone requested "The Twelve Days of Christmas" so we did a couple verses, then skipped to the twelfth verse and ran it down to the end.  The kids moaned in disappointment but that song is as bad as "100 Bottles of Pop on the Wall"!
The sun was lowering in the sky as the afternoon wore on.  No one was in a rush to leave.  Except those who hoped to catch some daylight and find that elusive deer before sundown.  So we continued on with the gifts and had a blast picking, stealing and trading until the last gift was opened.
Too soon, Walter gave me that knowing look as the signal that we needed to leave.  I helped Darcey wash up the dishes and then packed up our belongings.  It was hard to leave the pleasant atmosphere and connection with dear friends.  But the 2 1/2 hour journey back home in the waning light meant we'd be driving through some darkness.  More hugs and Christmas greetings and then we were back in our car.
Winding down the lane to the grid road beyond, I soaked in the memories and the pretty snow-covered surroundings.  We chatted and shared our day's experiences for a while.  Then Walter turned on a comedy station on the radio and we laughed our way home.
I spotted a couple deer near some round bales in the adjacent field.  I hoped they would stay there and not jump across our path.  The sky turned to lovely colours as we drove south again down the Number 6 highway.  By 7:20 pm, the bright lights of Regina were looming ahead of us.
So much to be thankful for.  So many people we have the privilege of serving with to reach First Nations communities with the Gospel.  So many years of memories of celebrations of Jesus' birth.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND ENJOY THE HOLIDAY SEASON!