Ninja Vanish!!!

Have I told you that I love Germany? Because I do.

And everyone keeps telling me how magical Christmas is in Germany - so I wake up every morning excited to see that magic begin. Word on the street is that Christmas was invented here. Oh, really? So were a couple of World Wars....real talk...hahaha - ANYHOO -

With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays - I've found myself talking incessantly to my cousin about my memories. I'm probably driving her nuts - but I realized that as much as I talk a big game of not being homesick - I really miss all of you this time of year.

Please, let me share one of my favorite memories of the Christmas season. Hopefully, it will help to warm your heart and remind you of what's important throughout the year.

Growing up, our family had a great tradition of being "Secret Santas" for certain families that were having a hard time. It was fun picking out gifts for others, wrapping them, and then leaving them for the families without being noticed. And believe you me - I am EASY to notice.

My favorite year of Secret Santa was a particularly cold Christmas season that kept a lot of ice on the ground. The "elves" that night were: Bunny, Me, and Ladybug. Big Ray & Rin-Dizzle were in the getaway white van with wood interior and were whisper shouting instructions to us. I usually get giggly at some point of the delivery - it's cold, we're trying to be sneaky, and we're slipping and sliding all over the place. There are only 2 flights of stairs (they switchback onto the porch) and the last steps and porch are encased in a railing. The first flight wasn't hard for us to execute. Once we got up to the porch we take inventory:

• laundry baskets full of gifts - check
• large Tongan girl breathing hard - check
• small Asian girl buried under one of the baskets - check
• Jungle Book's Mowgli....wait - where is Ladybug?

It doesn't matter - we haven't knocked yet and the porch light flips on. ABORT! ABORT!

Bunny and I throw the baskets onto the porch and make a mad dash to the car. We fore go the bottom steps and run through the yard. We're making a mad dash to the - wait, where in the hell are our parents with the van?! Turns out Big Ray had to turn around...which meant driving down the street?! Bunny and I are freaking out and whisper yelling at each other.

Suddenly, we hear Ladybug's urgent whisper. We turn in slow motion to see him up on the porch - buried under the baskets we just threw. We are all whisper yelling at this point - him at us - us at him - our parents at us - it's Christmas CHAOS.

*Ladybug struggling to get off the porch*
Bunny & Me (whisper shouting): hurry up!!! we're going to get caught!!!

*I see my parents parking a couple houses down the street and I'm G-O-N-E. No time for Semper Fi - this big gurl already knows how long it's going to take to get to the car.*

*Bunny sees my courage and takes off after me*

Ladybug (panic whisper): wait!!! wait for me!!! 

*By this time, Bunny and I are laughing so hard and it takes everything to just open the van doors and jump in.*

Rin-Dizzle (whisper shouting): where is your brother?!

Bunny and I are too busy laughing and trying to breathe. All we can do is point to the house.

Big Ray: *putting the van in gear* I see him. We've got to get him before we're all caught.

He brings the van towards the house - and then the most amazing thing happens: Ladybug decides to take the stairs.

Big Ray, Rin-Dizzle, Bunny, and Me (whisper shouting): no!!!

Too late - Ladybug takes his first step, slips, and plummets head first down the last flight of stairs.

Bunny & Me: BAHAHAHA!!!

Ladybug: *whisper crying*

Rin-Dizzle (whisper shouting): devin! get in the car! get - in - the - car!!!

*Ladybug slowly gets up and starts limping to the van.*

Rin-Dizzle (still whisper shouting): hurry! hur-ree!

We open the door for Ladybug as he falls into the van. His face is bloody and there are tears frozen to cheeks. He's lying on the floor behind our parents.

Rin-Dizzle: RAY - DRIVE!!!

Big Ray jerks the van into drive and Ladybug rolls around in pain. Rin-Dizzle turns around to see what has happened to her baby.

Ladybug (yelling): WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?! *crying*

*silence*

Rin-Dizzle glares at us from the front seat.

Bunny and I slowly look at each other - then at our mom - and then at our crying brother.

Bunny & Me: BAHAHAHA!!!

Family is what's important...and so is laughter. ;)

<3 Merry Christmas everyone - I love and miss you - wherever you may be!!! <3