Lost: One Camel . . .

Years ago I found a crochet pattern for a nativity set. This pattern used regular yarn and was designed to have most of the pieces fit over soda bottles . . . so, the finished set would be fairly large. 

When I looked at it, I thought maybe I could use very small hooks (9mm or 10mm) and crochet thread to make a small set which would fit nestled among the branches of my tree each year. Since I like to keep the focus of Christmas on Jesus . . . it is, after all, His birthday . . . I liked the idea of nestling a Nativity set among the branches, so it was the focus of my tree.

I set about crocheting the set and made Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus in a manger, a donkey, a couple shepherds, a couple sheep, three wise men, a camel, and a couple angels. Over the years our English Springer Spaniel was the guilty culprit in the demise of a shepherd, sheep and one wise man . . . Scout always looked so remorseful when we caught him with the chewed up figure, but then if he had the chance to "play with" another of the, "wonderful toys" I, of course must have made for him, he always did so!

Today I'm remembering how ten years ago as we were decorating the tree, the camel ended up disappearing. We had one, lost camel. It was last seen in the hands of one very-happy-to-be-decorating-Poppa's-and-Grandma's-Christmas-Tree-two year old who was running around the living room with it while he, "mooed"!

I couldn't find it, but it was likely to show up, sooner or later . . . when we took the tree down after Christmas, the missing camel was found! Apparently, my youngest grandson had placed the camel way, way, way back on the back side of the tree. I was happy to find it, and as I remember our "lost camel" I'm reminded all over again of the fun of young grands, the gift of family time together, and memories - and I'm feeling oh, so blessed!