Christmas All-Nighters

Christmas morning with the Rapier family was a tradition for Mother, Dad and I from the time their children were old enough to be excited about Christmas. We so enjoyed being there for the opening of the Christmas presents. After Dad passed away, Mother and I began spending the night with Evelyn and Larry’s family on Christmas Eve. They would go to their traditional Rapier cousin gathering and Nativity and when they returned we would go to their home to sleep.

We soon learned, however, that Evelyn and Larry really BEGAN getting ready for Christmas after all the kids went to bed. I would stay up with them to either help or just visit while they finished getting things wrapped and ready for the morning surprises. These were some of my fondest times with Larry and Evelyn. The first Christmas I had ever been away from home was the year I got married. I was a little homesick getting ready for Christmas that year and I guess Evelyn was, too, because she called me at 2:00 a.m. Christmas morning to tell me that she was wrapping presents and she missed me.

I did get to spend one more Christmas in their home when Sarah was 2 and Nathan was just a baby. That was the first time that we actually stayed up the entire night without going to bed. We were just having too much fun. As soon as the Christmas morning activities had concluded, we surely were tired!!