This house has a special place in my heart. Not only is It my parents’ home, but it was the first of my jobs to get published. It was featured in the Fall 2019 issue of 817HOME. I spent over half of my life here. Growing up, Christmas morning was always magical. My mother would not let us come to the living room and open presents until she had the coffee, hot chocolate and breakfast of muffins and fruit ready for the family. The Christmas music had to be playing and the fire crackling.

 

Christmas of 2001 was one of the most magical mornings. I was a freshman in high school and my parents pulled off the ultimate Christmas Surprise!! All Christmas season, my parents kept singing the Silver Bells song more than usual. "Silver Bells, its Christmas time in the city…” A little hint of the big surprise to come.

 

My sister and I arrived back home Christmas Eve and got ready for bed as usual, went to sleep, and woke up to our Christmas morning traditions. We made it through all the gift openings (which we do SLOWLY in my family to fully enjoy each person opening every present while eating and drinking to our hearts’ content.)

 

It came time for the last gift. I opened it and it was as a stack of official documents from the American Miniature Horse Association. Now, I was a pretty sharp kid; I didn't get it! Ha! It was my little sister who guessed that there was a horse somewhere near by! Sure enough, a precious, fluffy, grey dapple nine month old filly was waiting inside a temporary stall my parents had built her in the garage just for Christmas morning. That sweet little baby did not make one single noise or give her presence away on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. The stall was adorable, built out of reclaimed shiplap (yes my parents were ahead of the time) complete with a name plaque that read Silver Belle.