Summary: Christmas 1844 entries from Marie’s journal.
\nWritten for day 11 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
\nRating: G
\nWord Count: 2300<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bonanza <\/p>\n “Snow Angels”<\/strong><\/p>\n Part 1<\/p>\n <\/p>\n December 17, 1844<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Tuesday<\/i><\/p>\n It is continuing to snow today.\u00a0\u00a0Ben and Adam went out and got the tree.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s a beautiful pine tree standing beside the fireplace.\u00a0\u00a0The older boys and I decorated it with ornaments, garlands and candles.\u00a0\u00a0Among the ornaments are two that I ordered this year.\u00a0\u00a0They\u2019re both angels.<\/p>\n I put Little Joseph in a chair so that he could watch us.\u00a0\u00a0He smiled the whole time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n December 21, 1844<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Saturday<\/i><\/p>\n Presents have started showing up under the tree.\u00a0\u00a0Most are from Ben and me.\u00a0\u00a0A few are from Adam and from Hoss.\u00a0\u00a0Way in the back against the wall are two long ones.\u00a0\u00a0One has my name on it and the other has Adam\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0They\u2019re both from Ben.<\/p>\n Adam told me, \u201cI think they\u2019re new rifles.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s probably right.\u00a0\u00a0I can tell he\u2019s very excited about it.\u00a0\u00a0I know Adam is already 14 years old and almost a man.\u00a0\u00a0His father has already been giving him various responsibilities around the ranch.\u00a0\u00a0Still he is a boy.\u00a0\u00a0I want him to know he can still have moments of fun.<\/p>\n Today I told the boys, \u201cLet\u2019s go play in the snow.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss was the first one to run out the door.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s only 8 years old and he\u2019s already almost as tall as Adam.\u00a0\u00a0Why do I have this funny feeling he\u2019ll grow up to be taller than their father?<\/p>\n I had little Joseph in my arms.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s 2 years old and still a baby.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019s a little too young for snowball fights and making snowmen.\u00a0\u00a0Still he\u2019s old enough to make snow angels.\u00a0\u00a0I decided to teach him how.\u00a0\u00a0I remember I enjoyed doing them when I was a child.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ve been letting him watch his brothers play in the snow.\u00a0\u00a0Today I wanted him to finally start joining his brothers.<\/p>\n Adam and Hoss made a snowman.\u00a0\u00a0Little Joe giggled as he watched them.<\/p>\n I asked, \u201cBoys, can you show your little brother how to make snow angels?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay!\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n They laid down in the snow and started flailing their arms and legs about.<\/p>\n I told little Joseph, \u201cSee? Your brothers are making snow angels.\u201d<\/p>\n He giggled.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you like to make one?\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cYeah!\u201d<\/p>\n I carefully laid him down in the snow as his brothers smiled and watched.\u00a0\u00a0He flailed his arms and legs around and giggled.\u00a0\u00a0Then I picked him back up in my arms.<\/p>\n I told him, \u201cSee the snow angels you and your brothers made?\u201d<\/p>\n He just said, \u201cAngels.\u201d<\/p>\n I think he looks like a little angel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n December 23, 1844<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Monday<\/i><\/p>\n I keep wondering about those long gifts for me and Adam.\u00a0\u00a0We still think they may be new rifles for us.<\/p>\n Tonight I asked Ben, \u201cDo you have a clue you would like to give about those long gifts for me and Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n He stared at the gifts under the tree for a few minutes as if he was trying to figure out the right words to say.<\/p>\n Then he looked back at me and said, \u201cOh, you have your sights on those do you?\u201d<\/p>\n He gave me a funny smile and walked away.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s my dear Ben.\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes the man can be a little bit elusive.<\/p>\n Adam and I have been using rifles that were previously owned by others.\u00a0\u00a0I have an old rifle of Ben\u2019s that he used to use.\u00a0\u00a0Adam\u2019s rifle was given to him by a neighbor.<\/p>\n A rifle is very good to have here on the ranch.\u00a0\u00a0One time I was here in the house when I heard the chickens making a lot of noise.\u00a0\u00a0I grabbed my rifle and ran out to see a fox attacking one of the chickens.\u00a0\u00a0I shot that fox dead.<\/p>\n Wait a minute!\u00a0\u00a0Ben used the word \u201csights\u201d!\u00a0\u00a0Ah ha!\u00a0\u00a0We are getting new rifles!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n December 24, 1844<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Christmas Eve<\/i><\/p>\n There are presents of various shapes and sizes under the tree.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ve caught the older boys many times eyeing them.\u00a0\u00a0Little Joseph\u2019s green eyes get big every time he stares at the tree and the gifts.\u00a0\u00a0I think he\u2019s awed by all of the bright colors.\u00a0\u00a0It is a beautiful sight.<\/p>\n Late tonight Ben and I filled the boys stockings with candies and small toys.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m so excited to see them open their gifts in the morning.<\/p>\n Tonight Ben caught me again looking at those long presents under the tree.\u00a0\u00a0He gave me a funny smile and walked on up the stairs.\u00a0\u00a0Tomorrow we will find out what they are.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n December 25, 1844<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n Christmas Day<\/i><\/p>\n Oh what a Christmas this has been!\u00a0\u00a0I suppose I should start from the beginning.<\/p>\n Early this morning Adam and Hoss were both up and down the stairs before Hop Sing could put breakfast on the table.\u00a0\u00a0When Ben and I came downstairs Hoss asked if they could open their presents now.\u00a0\u00a0Ben told him they would have to wait until after breakfast just like we always do every year.<\/p>\n Hop Sing made a wonderful breakfast as always.\u00a0\u00a0He cooked pancakes, sausages and scrambled eggs.\u00a0\u00a0He let me in the kitchen to make lots of hot cocoa.\u00a0\u00a0Of course, he helped me.<\/p>\n After breakfast we all opened our presents.\u00a0\u00a0Ben and I got new winter coats and mittens for all of the boys.\u00a0\u00a0Ben gave Adam more books to read, and I gave him a journal along with quill and ink.\u00a0\u00a0Ben gave Hoss a little statue of a horse running, and I gave him a statue of an eagle about to take flight.\u00a0\u00a0Adam made each of his brothers a wooden toy horse.\u00a0\u00a0He and Hoss both gave me a bottle of perfume.\u00a0\u00a0It has a sweet floral fragrance.\u00a0\u00a0Ben gave me a jewelry box with several little compartments in it.\u00a0\u00a0The lid is painted with dainty white flowers.\u00a0\u00a0I gave him a pipe.<\/p>\n Ben and the boys were all delighted with their gifts.\u00a0\u00a0It was so nice to see them all smiling and laughing.\u00a0\u00a0What a wonderful feeling.<\/p>\n Of course we always include Hop Sing.\u00a0\u00a0We know a couple of ranching families who don\u2019t include the cook, but we do ours.\u00a0\u00a0We gave him some new pots and pans along with a wool blanket.\u00a0\u00a0Hop Sing was so appreciative and thanked us.\u00a0\u00a0He gave each of us a blanket.<\/p>\n We include our ranch hands as well.\u00a0\u00a0Every year Ben gives each of them a Christmas bonus.<\/p>\n Then there were those two long gifts from Ben to Adam and me.\u00a0\u00a0Yes they were new rifles!\u00a0\u00a0I noticed Adam looking so admiringly at his.\u00a0\u00a0We went out by the corral and practiced shooting with our new rifles.\u00a0\u00a0Ben set the cans on the fence for us.\u00a0\u00a0We shot every can.<\/p>\n Afterwards Adam and I sat on the porch and cleaned our new rifles.\u00a0\u00a0He helped with the pouring of the hot water.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s pretty easy cleaning a rifle.\u00a0\u00a0Pour in hot water, clean with a rag, and oil it.<\/p>\n I told Adam about Marius being meticulous about cleaning the epee after every use.<\/p>\n He said, \u201cPa\u2019s the same way about guns.\u201d<\/p>\n I replied, \u201cYes he is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe says that a gun is just a tool.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s right, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n After we finished cleaning the rifles we took them inside and put them in the gun rack.<\/p>\n Then we had our big Christmas dinner.\u00a0\u00a0Friends and neighbors came along with a couple of ranch hands who are staying over the winter here in the bunkhouse.\u00a0\u00a0My goodness Hop Sing can sure make a feast.\u00a0\u00a0He put together hams, potatoes, green beans, fruits, rolls, coffee, hot cocoa, candies and pies.\u00a0\u00a0Our guests left full and with some food to take home with them.<\/p>\n Next I lost track of little Joseph.\u00a0\u00a0We ran around inside the house looking for him and calling his name.\u00a0\u00a0I started to become very frantic.\u00a0\u00a0I looked outside to see him laying in the snow as he flailed his arms about, and I ran out to him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0I asked.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaking angels,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were all looking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n I scooped him up and quickly carried him back into the house to get warm.<\/p>\n Tonight before we all headed to bed, Ben opened the Bible and read to us the Christmas story.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s a family tradition that he does every year.\u201d<\/p>\n When Ben got to the part where the angels told the shepherds about the birth of Jesus, little Joseph shouted, \u201cAngels!\u201d<\/p>\n Oh how I love Christmas.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s so beautiful with all of the love and giving, and the Christmas trees.<\/p>\n Merry Christmas!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Character: Marie<\/em><\/p>\n Activity: Maintaining a rifle<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Link to Part 2 of\u00a0 Snow Angels by Sierras<\/a><\/p>\n Link to Day 12 of the Bonanza Brand 2021 Advent Calendar:\u00a0 In Absentia #5 – Homesick by Belle<\/a><\/p>\n
\n~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~
\n* Day 11 *<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n