What would this make me? Mrs. Claus? The Mrs. Claus? I needed a few days to wrap my head around it, to get the kids together, deal with their schoolwork, and prep our animals for what I assumed would be a long and strange journey. I told the school we had a family emergency and that we’d be back in January. Family and friends got a different story—last-minute mission trip, I said. I’ve never lied so much in my life!

It all begins with an idea. My hope is to have 40 Stories by Thanksgiving so I can focus on December.