Christmas Thoughts

On Saturday we had a ward (church) Christmas party/breakfast. I got up early, thinking I would get a bunch of stuff done (which I did!), the kids woke up around 7:30 at the same time (like they always do), and S took care of them while I went grocery shopping. When I got back from the grocery store, the party had already been going on for five minutes and S had done only a few of the multitudinous "getting ready" things with the kids. I wasn't too set on going to the party in the first place, especially not late, but since S really wanted to go, we hurried and got the kids and ourselves ready and got there 45 minutes late. (Sheesh!)

We brought Boo's walker along with us, since we have discovered that our home was not designed for kids learning how to walk (too many levels and stairs) and the church is only one level with lots of walking space. When we walked in the door, we put Boo in his walker and he immediately took off. We steered him in the direction of the party, only to discover that we were entering through a door at the front of the party instead of the back (which I had hoped for). The place was packed and we entered right in the middle of a piano performance (Sorry!!!). Needless to say, it was a "grand entrance" that I would never have intended!

Boo didn't notice that anything was amiss. He walked right in in his walker and smiled at everyone he passed. Every now and again I had to steer him away from people's legs and such as he plowed right through the crowd of tables and people sitting at them. Being discreet was not an option at this point. After all, this was a crowd of people who have been fasting and praying for him ever since he was born. Tons of people commented to us about how cute he is in his walker (Agreed!), how good he is at it, how impressed they were at his walking (especially when he had only had the walker for four days), how much it warms their hearts to see him out and especially walking (since we have mainly stayed in the house or the hospital his whole life), etc. Some people teared up when they saw him, and the bishop shared the experience in his testimony today. We had him walk around the church a ton, and he mostly stayed out of everyone's way (except when they were trying to put the tables away when it was over and he kept wanting to close the closet doors for them! Boo and his doors...). He did great and he smiled the whole time.

Later that day, we S and I were talking about comments we had received, and it occurred to me that Boo is kind of like everyone's Tiny Tim. Honestly, I can't think of any dissimilarities except that Tiny Tim talks and eats... :) We happened to watch Muppet Christmas Carol that day as well, coincidentally. At one point in the movie, Mrs. Cratchit asks Bob how Tiny Tim did at church that day. I should probably go look up an exact quote, but I am afraid if I go upstairs to look for it I will wake up Cee-Cee - bad idea at this point! - but essentially he said the following:
Tiny Tim did good at church. He was happy. He said that he hoped that the people at church would see him and that he was happy and that they would remember at Christmas time that the Savior made the blind man see and the lame man walk.

This touched my heart! Boo is our little miracle baby. He is living, breathing proof that God answers prayers, that miracles do happen, that life is good, and so many other things I cannot enumerate. How blessed we are to have him in our family as a constant reminder. How grateful I am for the Savior who DID live, DID heal the sick, make the blind man see, make the lame man walk, and perform many other miracles. How grateful I am for the same Savior, Jesus Christ, who DOES live still, who WILL come again, who LOVES us, and who WILL one day heal us all of all things that ail us, physical as well as emotional. Like Tiny Tim, I hope that people who see Boo will remember the Savior and all that He has done and will do for each of us.

I might post again before Christmas, but I might not. You never know around here just what I am going to get done in any given day. May you all have a Merry Christmas and enjoy the wonderful spirit that accompanies this season!

Boo in his Walker