The LIttle Christmas Bell

I love the holidays. For Thanksgiving we always go to the Oldest Sister's house.

Why?

These noodles, of course!

Her youngest daughter is the absolute bestest noodle maker I know. (The funny thing about our family is that the best cooks seem to be the next generation, rather than our generation.) I'm very thankful for these noodles. They are part of our Thanksgiving tradition and it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Becca's noodles.

Another Thanksgiving tradition is to race home and put up the Christmas tree.

The best Christmas memory ever? This little ornament....

When we were little, my brothers and sisters and I whiled away many hours of Christmas anticipation by playing "Hide-the-Bell". One person would hide the little bell and then the others would try and find it.

5 or 6 years ago at Christmas time, my mom told each us to pick our favorite ornament and take it home with us. I chose the bell, and my gardening sister has never gotten over it. (Only because she didn't think of it first!).

For years, she has threatened to steal the bell. My own children worry and stew about this each year. For two years, the bell remained hidden, but this year I convinced the kids that we should display the bell. After all, how much fun is it to have the bell if you hide it away?

So, this year, we put the bell out and displayed it in a special place, guessing that the gardening aunt would be looking for it in the tree.

Just imagine our dismay when we came home from church this morning to find this note in place of the bell. Our greatest fears had been realized! It was GONE! The Gardening Aunt had finally done it! She had STOLEN the Christmas Bell!

No. Not really..... Just the humor of the gardening aunt at play.

Dear Sophie and the others

(how did she guess that it is Sophie who covets and worries over the bell the most?)

It's me, the little Christmas Bell.

I'm not where I was before.

I've moved!

Can you find me?

Here are 3 clues:

Bells don't grow on trees.

Bells have guardian angels.

Bells don't travel long distances.

I hope you find me before Christmas!

The Little Bell.

We did find the Little Bell....

and another tradition continues to the next generation.