Thomas the Christmas Stag

Last Friday night I awoke with a start from my oh-so-close-to-sleep to the sound of our doorbell -- it was 10:30pm. "Don't get the door [daughter]," I said in a mild tone, just in case the bell awoke her also.

"Who could it be?" Nancy asked? "I don't know, but nothing good ever comes from the bell ringing this late." I responded. I thought it strange that the bell only rang once. Surely if it was a neighbor needing some help they would be knocking also - or would have called first.
By the time I had put on some shoes the bell rang again. I sauntered to the front door with my emotions bouncing between worried and put-out.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear, than a some bright Christmas lights wrapping a Christmas reindeer. I smiled immediately and recalled a conversation I had last month with a family I home teach. Other neighbors had thrown away the reindeer mads of sticks. My home teaching family had rescued it -- knowing it was to be a joke later on. We laughed together of how they could write a note and put it on a neighbors porch and doorbell ditch.

Who knew that I would be the neighbor they would select. The deer came with a note that we were to take care of the reindeer and pass it from neighbor to neighbor - helping everyone remember the Christmas sprit. But on Christmas, the deer was to return home to the original neighbor who threw it away. I love our neighborhood. We have fun neighbors. Oh - and our daughter fell in love with it and named it Thomas.