The most unusual Christmas

Yes, I must say, this has indeed been the most unusual Christmas I've ever had. To begin with, it's super hot out, there are no decorations around hardly at all, and the odd person will say to us, "Happy Christmas". On Christmas Eve, Beth and Lena and I stayed up late, drove into Whangarei and attended a Catholic Midnight Mass (Beth is Catholic). The most unusual part was when they sang Silent Night in Maori. At the end, nearing 2:00AM, we ate a piece of Christmas cake and then toodled off back to the farm and snuggled into our beds. The following morning, we made pancakes with fruit salad with Keri, Phillip, Oscar, Elli, Arla, and Rufus (the dog). It reminded me of my dad making a big Christmas day breakfast. Keri and Phillip had told us previously not to buy the kids any plastic toys or anything, but I had already begun a toque-making factory in the Crusader campervan. Everyone in the family received a hand-made toque and we also printed that great picture of Arla (on my blog below). Keri was so touched she cried and gave me the warmest hug. It melted my heart and I thought, "Yep, this is the true meaning of Christmas..." Beth and Lena and I decided that a small hike and a trip to the beach were the best activities to do on a sunny, 30 degree Christmas afternoon, so we went to a place called the Whangarei Heads and climbed up a cool little mountain with spectacular views of the entire area. After the hike, we kept driving with no aim in mind, and arrived at an amazing place called Ocean Beach (how original, I know), but it was so beautiful! Upon admiring the hot sand and the cool waves, Beth noticed something in the water... A shark?.... Nope, two dolphins body surfing in the waves right before us! Wow! What a sight! We felt so lucky to have seen these playful and beautiful dolphins - a present for us all. Christmas dinner consisted of tuna fish sandwhiches. Mmm-mmm... Not quite the turkey dinner we're all used to, but it was satisfying, none-the-less. Overall, a good day... ... Taking a step back here for a minute - before I left Canada, my grandmother was very ill and in the hospital. I spent some time with her before I left for New Zealand, knowing that it was possible she might not be alive when I returned to Canada. I've been getting updates during my travels this past month, and on Christmas Eve, my dad said that she hasn't got much longer to live. During the first part of the hike we did on Christmas Day here, I was thinking about my grandma, my mom, and my Aunty Joan. I knew they were all together... In my heart, I was sending love and warmth to them, sending my supporting and healing energy outwards. In my mind, I said to my grandmother, "Don't be scared" and before I could finish my thought, a voice came back clearly saying, "I'm not scared". It was so beautiful, and so clear and comforting. The most beautiful and powerful part of this story is that I later found out that my grandmother had passed away at the exact same time I had experienced this connection with her. I become quite emotional when I think of this sharing we exchanged, this comforting feeling that she is going some place better, some place where her soul can laugh and play... This made me think that perhaps the sight of the two dolphins playing in the water was maybe a sign that grandma was now in a place where she is free and uninhibited, playing in the riding waves, and back with her partner, her true love. How lovely.... We love you, Grandma.