A Christmas story for the whole family. . .

        It's almost time for Christmas Eve. Start one more precious family tradition and read out loud from "Pack Rat's Christmas Surprise". (Found in the column to the left) In this lovely story a hard working but poor mother and child in Mexico are given a most blessed gift on Christmas morning from the pack rat who lives nearby. Enjoy the the beginning of this lovely book and for the rest click the book photo to order. 

    Near the ocean in Mexico was a village of farmers. In the village was a small adobe house. In the house lived a mother and her little girl.

    The house had one large room, and in the center of that room was a wooden table with two wooden chairs, one for the mother and one for the little girl. In the center of the table was a very colorful bowl. 

    Every morning, every mid-day and every evening the mother would place a simple meal of fish, or chicken with beans in the bowl. After saying a prayer of thanks, the mother and little girl would then eat from the same bowl. They enjoyed these times together and smiled and laughed a lot.

    Next to the little adobe house grew a large mesquite tree with branches that curved like long arms. Along these branches on the mesquite tree were many sharp thorns. And next to the tree were two saguaro cactus with many small prickly thorns.

    Now, under this mesquite tree, near the prickly cactus lived another family. This family included a mother pack rat and her five baby pack rats. 

    Near the roots of the tree the mother pack rat had built a nest for her babies out of small branches filled with thorns from the large mesquite tree, and clumps of cactus prickly with thorns. Inside this nest the mother pack rat and her babies were very safe and very comfortable. . .  

(what comes next offers a tale of loss, faith, miracles and gratitude, a perfect family 'read' for Christmas)