Christmas Lights

After two services that morning, everyone gathered together at the house for a drive out to Our Lady of the Snows Christmas Light Drive. Mom and Carrie had packed a box full of brown paper bag sandwich dinners for everyone, and bottles of Pure apple juice and orange juice, which had iced over on the top.
After the tour of the lights had ended, Dad dropped a bill into the donation bucket and was given a little stuffed donkey. Puck was very happy with this gift, and smashed his face into the donkey’s nose in happiness.
“We’ll call him Drumbel-ers Phillips,” said OLeif.
While they drove along, Christmas songs played on the radio.
Joe began singing along, out of tune. Mom thought this was funny. Dad did not.
“Now I know why I always used to have you sit in the back of the van,” he said.
But he was cracking a smile.
And in the bitter single digit weather, they ended another pre-Christmas night.