on the 10th day of Christmas

On Sunday, all four of us drove down through the mountains. It was a little adventure I had concocted. Because in all my years of traveling by the "Santa's Village Road" exit on Hwy 17, I had never taken that exit.
I had to know what was at the end of that road. And the middle of December seemed like the perfect time to find out.
Sure I could have looked it up online, or on Google Maps, and saved Kevin the horrible torture of going with the (my) flow.
To say I was dissappointed would be an understatement.

It goes nowhere!

It goes less than nowhere! It's a frontage road to Electronic Data Systems! I couldn't imagine anything less santa's village-y. If it weren't for the mountains and the pine trees, there would be absolutely no association whatsoever.

Jerks.

Anyway, I needed something nice. I had a disgruntled husband and Baby C and I were hungry. We kept having to turn around, there was chaos in the front seat, I was getting upset. I was trying not to cry.
Then we settled on a restaurant, parked the car, and then found that there was a waiting list.
Two babies? Wait? No, we had to find somewhere else.
We walked to the Chinese place a few doors down-- closed.
Fine, Starbucks? Big big line.
'Still trying hold it together. I was in public after all.

I scurried back to the original cafe, and asked how long for a table. And the girl said "right now" and smiled. They all smiled at me, everyone near the front register.

The babies and I sat down while Kevin went to go get cash, since they didn't take credit cards.
A woman from another table popped her head into my view and said "You are so blessed." My off guard reaction, was to say, with tremble in my voice "I know" and smile. I mean, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say. I wholly agreed with her, but I felt dumb at the way I responded.
The ladies at her table and at some other tables, smiled and waved at the babies all during the time we ate. Baby R and C were well behaved for the most part, but as anyone who's had tots in a restaurant knows, it's a tense situation. My stomach muscles were taught the entire time I'm sure.

Another woman, a friend of the former, said goodbye to us as they were leaving and told us that "[we] already had our Christmas presents (motioning to C and R) and [we] were in for a wonderful holiday."
Again, since I was on the emotional-edge, I got a lump in my throat, but tried to play it cool, and thank her for being so nice and tell her to have a good day.
Shortly after they left, our waitress came over and told us that the first woman who talked to us had paid for our entire lunch. She said that it was because they enjoyed watching our family.
Flood gates open!!
That was it, I could hold it together anymore.
I started to sob and then I quickly made Kevin tell me about the latest football games and the statistics of the teams heading for the playoffs. That helped.

I thought that gift was so appropriate for Christmas.
We didn't know who she was, we hardly talked to her at all.
But she did that knowing we could never thank her or repay her.
I have to fight back tears typing about it now.

So, nice lady and friends in Scotts Valley:
Thank you.
You put everything in perspective.