Listening to Bing Crosby’s rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” makes me think of the many Christmas trips we made just to be able to spend the holiday with parents or grandparents. When we first married, my husband and I still lived in Connecticut, less than two hours away from our parents, and we would pack up our presents, and our two kids when they came along, and drive to our parents’ houses to spend several days with them. We ate Christmas Eve dinner with my husband’s folks and opened presents there, then headed to church to meet my parents for the candlelight Christmas Eve service. We’d sleep over at my folks’ house and open Christmas presents with them on Christmas morning.
I remember the time we loaded up the car with presents and packages, put the kids in their car seats, and headed to my parents’ house during a snowstorm. Many inches of snow had already fallen, and it was still coming down pretty steadily. It was dark out because we couldn’t leave until my husband’s shift at the police department had ended. The excitement of the Christmas holiday and getting to see our families made us anxious to get through the wintry weather as safely and quickly as possible. We had gone about a mile when our little red Datsun started coughing and sputtering. My husband kept going for another few miles, both of us hoping beyond hope that the problem would clear up, but it didn’t. Sadly, we had no choice but to return to our old farmhouse on the hill. We dreaded calling our parents to tell them we wouldn’t be making it for Christmas after all. I’m sure I cried all the way back to the house. Forlorn and heartbroken, we reached the bottom of our driveway and tried to make the steep ascent. Alas, the snow was so deep and icy, try as we might, we could not make it up the hill to our house. My husband and I looked at each other, and with grins on our faces, we said, “Guess we have no choice but to drive to Fairfield.” That less than two-hour trip took us four or five hours, but we made it. The pull of home at Christmas is so strong, we do almost anything to get there.
That routine didn’t change, even when we moved to Philadelphia and had our third child. We had farther to drive, but that didn’t deter us. It wasn’t until we moved to Texas that returning home for Christmas was impossible for us. There was no way we could afford five plane tickets. That first Christmas in Texas was going to be a lonely one for us, for sure. And then…my brother and his family drove all the way from San Diego to spend our first Texas Christmas with us. They had missed being with family so much since they moved to California, they were willing to drive three days to Texas just to spend Christmas with us. It was a wonderful Christmas indeed.
My parents began flying down from Connecticut to join us for our Christmas fiesta celebrations and eventually moved there permanently. Now my parents are both gone and the children have all moved away, but the heart tug of being home for Christmas never goes away, even though what that means has changed over the years. I hope that you get to share this wonderful time of year with those you love. God bless.
Coming East 
Wow, this takes me back to Christmases past, plowing through the snow in the Jeep to spend it with family in WV. Christmas 2012 came and went rather suddenly, didn’t it?
I’ve had a bit of a bug, staying in to keep from sharing, or getting something worse. Can’t wait for you and I to get “on the road again!”
Hope you feel better soon. I’m not enjoying this cold, damp weather. Makes me want to just stay inside and drink my tea.
I’m with you on that! Tea is perfect. Thanks.
beautiful post! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We spent the day at our daughter’s home watching our little grandson have his first Christmas. The day was filled with laughter and joy as all four grandparents goo-ed and coo-ed over each thing the baby did. We had family and it was wonderful. DAF
Loved you comment, DAF, and picturing you with your family. Grandchildren do tend to make you enjoy the holidays even more, don’t they?
Merry Christmas, Susan. 🙂
And to you, Robin!
Lovely thoughts of Christmas past.
Wishing you and your husband a day of joy and happiness. Merry Christmas! 🙂
Thank you, E.C. Hope you are having a merry Christmas as well.
Lovely, warm memories. I hope you spend Christmas with at least some of your kids. I will be driving to my parents’ house after I finish work tonight, spending the morning there and then driving back to work. But it’s better than nothing! I’m glad to live within a one-day driving distance!
Glad you will be with family, SC. We are with our Boston kids.
What wonderful memories. Merry Christmas Susan.
Merry Christmas, HG!
Merry Christmas to you and yours 🙂
Same to you, Stacia!
Thank you for sharing your “Home for Christmas” stories, that winery driving…
Merry Christmas to you, Susan!
Wanna take a tour of RW? http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/
What is RW, Amy? Hope you are enjoying your Christmas. I know you are warmer than we are!
Sorry, RW is our beloved Riverwalk. It has been warm until today. My daughter, Greg, and grandkids are here for Holidays and waiting for the moving truck to deliver furniture after Christmas (in Dallas).
My daughter and her family are in San Antonio for Christmas. Her in-laws live in Garden Ridge.
You’re the Norman Rockwell of bloggers, Susan. You paint a enticing picture of Christmastime with your words. Hope you and George have a wonderful Christmas. After New Year, you’ll have to come over and meet Queenie’s new little sister.
Merry Christmas, Al and Patty! Can’t wait to meet the addition to your family.
Beautiful story. I imagine it doesn’t seem that long ago. I hope your home is filled with joyful noise this holiday season.
Thank you, Life. Hope you are havi HG a wonderful Christmas as well.
These are wonderful memories you’ve shared, Susan. (Love that your brother and his family drove that distance to be with you!) I saw a card verse recently and don’t recall it word for word, but something similar to “You always go home for Christmas, even if it’s just memories that take you there”. I wish I had made note of it – your post reminded me. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Dianna. We are enjoying spending Christmas with our Boston children. Hope we can get together with Patti after New Years.