No one expected surprise guests for Christmas, but then no one knew what God had planned.

Franklin Dooty was traveling back and forth to work, putting in long hours and coming home tired but happy to be productive. His wife Donna had assigned him certain responsibilities - find and put up a Christmas tree, help put up lights and other decorations, and contribute ideas for celebrating Christmas.

Being very organized, Donna had everything planned out. Early in December she brought out her list of all the Christmas decorations, which she always meticulously boxed by where they would be installed.

Chris and Christine Mouse, the resident mouse family in the Dooty home, had a similar approach, but of course their Home in the Wall wasn't that big so their decorations were easier than the Dooty's.

Chris Mouses felt his role in the household was to play Christmas music every waking minute and follow his wife Christine's directions to decorate. With their Home in the Wall built into a closet in the Dooty home, there really wasn't any reason to have exterior lights or decorations on their house, just a simple wreath on the door.

in mid-December Franklin had surprised Chris and Christine with a very small Christmas tree, which was actually the top of a small evergreen growing in an empty lot that would soon be developed. It was just the right size - 8 inches tall - and had a perfect shape.

Christine was delighted. The Mouse Store (think Walmart for mice) was terrific at holidays with all kinds of mouse-sized decorations and party favors. Christine was one of their best customers and this year was no exception.

As decorations and preparations were underway, no one had anticipated what was about to happen this year.

The first hint that this would be a different year was when Franklin and Donna Dooty came home from church on the Sunday before Christmas with news. A new family had recently joined their church and the Dooty's learned that it was a single dad and two kids. The wife and mother, Maria, had passed away in Spring from a long and debilitating illness, leaving her family without her love and care.

As the Dooty's would soon learn, the father had a good job, but that meant that the two kids were latchkey kids. They saw their dad in the morning as he was getting ready for work, and after school they were alone in the house for a few hours before he came home.

Their father, Joseph Flynn, was devoted to his kids, and even more so now that he was a single parent. He prepared dinner every night and every night they held hands and prayed for God's blessing on the food before serving and eating it. The father was teaching his eight-year-old daughter Mary how to cook by helping him prepare the meals. The chores for the six-year-old son, Micah, were to clean up both kids' bedrooms after school and wash the dishes after dinner. Micah was anxious to get a year older so he could help cook, a task that he thought would be more grownup than cleaning.

This year would be their first Christmas season without Maria, and both kids were unsure how they would feel about it. Thanksgiving had been very sad. They had gone to Maria's parent's home, about four hour's drive away, but most of the conversations there were about Maria's passing. It was a pretty somber celebration, which made Joseph more than a little anxious as Christmas approached.

One night at the dinner table Franklin and Donna brought up an idea with Chris and Christine Mouse as they described the new family .

"What would you guys think if we invited this family to join us for Christmas dinner," asked Donna.

Chris and Christine looked at each other and both simultaneously raised both front paws up in the air. "We're in" they said. "That sounds like a wonderful way to spend Christmas day. Christmas should be about sharing and giving,"

The rest of the meal was spent talking about how they all could make Christmas Day a special day for the new family.

"We'll talk to them after church next week," replied Donna. "I hope they can join us because it would be really nice to give the gift of warmth to those who really need it this year."

"Just let us know what we can bring," said Christine. I'm sure I can arrange for our family group, 'Here We Go,' to provide holiday entertainment. We could perform right on the table top after dinner."

"Ooh, I like that," said Donna. "That would be a real treat. Your family is so talented."

The next Sunday at church, Franklin walked up to Joseph and said, "Hi Joseph, we enjoyed meeting your family last Sunday. We'd love to invite you and your family to our home for Christmas dinner. It's gonna be very tasty, and we have some surprise entertainment that I think your kids would really enjoy."

"Thank you. We'd be happy to join you. What can we bring?"

"Just come hungry. Donna has all the food settled and you don't want to mess with her plans," said Franklin with a smile.

"Oh, just one more thing," Franklin added. "We have another family in our house and you should know about them ahead of time. They're a mouse family."

"Oh, no," replied Joseph. "Have you called an exterminator?"

Franklin quickly added, "Sorry, I should have explained. This is a most extraordinary mouse family and they're our friends. They speak English, have a wonderful home inside our house, and we have practically raised their kids, both of whom are grown now and are very successful. Once you get past their small size, and that they're mice, I think you'll really enjoy them. Plus, they're going to provide a little holiday entertainment for us that day. They're a very talented, award-winning musical family."

Joseph's eyes widen. "Really? That sounds very interesting. I'm sure my kids will really love that."

"Well, I think you will, too. The Mouse family are very nice and also very talented."

On the following days leading up to Christmas Donna planned the menu and gave Franklin orders on what to buy at the market. The Mouse family practiced several very popular numbers for their family group, Here We Go! Franklin and Chris wisely stayed out of the way and waited for orders from their wives on how and when they should help.

The day before Christmas, Chris and Chistine's grown kids, Carl and Candy, decided to spend the night at their parent's home so they could wake up early the next morning in their old rooms.

That night, Christmas eve, the Dooty and Mouse families sat together in the living room. Donna served hot cocoa to Franklin and herself and non-caffeinated herbal tea to the Mouse family. Franklin turned on the big screen tv, and they watched a YouTube video of a crackling fire with Christmas songs. It was fun singing along with the carols. It was a special Christmas eve.

On Christmas day, the doorbell rang and as he opened the door, Franklin was happy to see his nephew Danny standing in the doorway with an armful of presents.

"Just a minute, Uncle Franklin," he said as he dropped the packages inside and ran back to his car.

"What's that?" Franklin asked, as he noticed that Danny came back with his arms loaded with other boxes.

"It's a surprise, Uncle. I brought a small version of the light and sound system we use when Here We Go! performs. I sized it perfectly for your kitchen table."

From morning until mid-afternoon the smells of Christmas dinner filled the Dooty home with mouth-watering fragrances.

Inside the Mouse family's Home in the Wall, Christine was preparing a special Christmas morning breakfast for her family. Carl and Candy sat at the table in their old places while their mom served up a hot, heartwarming Christmas breakfast, just like when the kids were young.

After a prayer for the food everyone started digging into the plates of food as Chris turned on Christmas music on their tablet tv. It was a wonderful breakfast.

Christine reminded everyone of the guest family coming for dinner later in the afternoon. "Their family has gone through a very hard year and so today we want to brighten their day, show them warmth and love, and entertain them with fun and music."

Presents opened, "thank you's" exchanged, the wrapping paper and boxes were picked up and moved out of the way. The four family members then had their last practice of the singing and dancing numbers they would perform that afternoon.

Practice over, after a brief nap, it was time to join the Dooty's to welcome their guest family. And, fifteen short minutes later the doorbell rang and Franklin opened the door to welcome Joseph, Mary and Micah.

"Come in, come in. Let me take your coats."

Donna was right behind Franklin, and she grasped the hands of the three Flynn family members as they walked inside.

Donna introduced them to the Mouse family.

"These are our good friends and house mates. This is Chris, the father, Christine, the mom, Candy, their oldest, and Carl, their son.

"And this is our nephew, Danny. He is the genius in our family and we're so glad he was able to join us this Christmas."

The visitors shook hands but were not sure whether they should try to shake the paws of the mice, so Joseph raised a hand to wave, and his kids followed suit. Waves and smiles were returned from the four mice.

Everyone walked into the living room where they sat and exchanged holiday greetings. Mary and Micah were quiet, uncomfortable in the house of strangers and unsure of what to say. This was their first Christmas without their mother, and that was a heavy burden on both kids.

After exchanging pleasantries, Donna directed everyone to sit at the table for Christmas dinner.

Franklin said a prayer for the meal - a traditional Christmas dinner with turkey, ham, scalloped potatoes, cranberry sauce, broccoli with cheese, and hot biscuits. For dessert, Donna had served her signature apple pie, made from a recipe handed down for four generations in her family.

Everyone ate quietly with a little polite conversation, and after apple pie and ice cream, Franklin and Donna removed the dishes and centerpiece, clearing the table for the entertainment.

Danny set up his portable lighting and sound stage on the table. When all was set, he directed everyone to sit on the side of the table opposite the stage,

Next, he asked Franklin to pull the window shades and turn off the kitchen lights, and then he sat down on the side with his phone in his hand.

FLASH! The performance lights came on lighting the stage, which used the table top as its stage floor, and had a framework around it and the curtain closed.

Mary and Micah looked at each other. They were very interested in the mouse family. During dinner it had been fun to talk with them and learn more about their lives. Now, they weren't sure what to expect.

Joseph looked at his two kids and smiled. They seemed caught up in the magic of the moment. Their faces were bright, eyes were wide - it was exactly what he hoped would happen. The sadness of the first Christmas without their mother, might be diminished by the happiness of this day.

Danny pushed on his cellphone screen and the curtain pulled back as recorded music started. The Mouse family stood in the middle of the stage wearing Christmas costumes. As the notes of "Silver Bells" came out of the speakers, the four mice began gliding around the table, sliding on their paws as they sang. It was almost as if they were ice skating.

"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks.
Dressed in holiday style
In the air
There's a feeling of Christmas

"Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
and on every street corner
You'll hear

"Silver bells, silver bells,
It's Christmas time in the city."

It was a fascinating performance. Mary and Micah had broad smiles on their faces, and their eyes were wide as they followed every movement of the four mice.

When the song was over, everyone clapped, with the loudest applause coming from the two children.

Then the curtains closed.

Next, Chris and family stepped out in front of the curtain. Chris was wearing coat and tails and top hat, and he was holding a candy cane.

He announced in a soft voice, "Christmas is about giving, and our family is so happy to give our best to you on this day. But we can't forget the greatest gift of all, the gift of the baby in a manger, born to give us hope and a future. No matter what is going on in your life, this great gift is not only free, but also the best gift any of us will ever get.

"Please join us in singing this old Christmas carol, 'Away in a manger.' In case you don't remember the words, Danny is going to project them on a small screen at the top of the stage."

As music started Danny pushed on his phone screen to open the curtain and there on the stage was a manger scene with a baby and figurines for Joseph and Mary and shepherds and animals. One bright light on the upper side of the stage cast light on the scene, as if it was a star.

In front of that nativity scene, Candy and Christine stepped forward to sing:

"Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;
the stars in the heavens looked down where He lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay."

After the song, the curtain closed and Chris stepped out front once more.

"Now, let's get some slightly different entertainment going. Our family is going to perform a song from the musical, "Mame," called "We need a little Christmas."

The music keyed up and Candy began to sing the words. When each new part came in, a different family member stepped forward to sing, while the others acted out their parts from the Broadway show.

As the last line was sung Danny started a special stage effect. He had cut up white feathers into small pieces, and he turned on a tiny fan behind the stage which sent the fluffy feather pieces in the air, finally to falling like snow on the stage. It looked so realistic.

After the last notes faded, Chris stepped to the side of the stage and the curtains closed again.

"We're going to finish with one of our favorite songs, one that we wrote before our very first performance. It's called, "Rock the Mouse House" and it features our son Carl doing some fancy dancing. We'll all join him in dancing at the end."

Chris reached behind him and picked up his guitar, playing the first notes as the curtain opened with Carl in the middle.

Christine and Candy stood on the side with Chris, watching as Carl danced some really cool moves. In the second stanza, Carl stepped to the side as Chrstine and Candy took center stage and moved together to the music, arms overhead, then twirling and sashaying around the stage.

For the last stanza, Chris joined the other family members as they did synchronized movements to the music, all four moving perfectly to the beat.

The Flynn family was mesmerized, staring at the performance in front of them on the kitchen table, done by very talented, costumed mice. Franklin and Donna beamed happily, watching the faces of Joseph and his kids who were caught up in the performance.

As the song ended, all four mice spun as one and then leaned forward and each put out one front paw as if reaching to the audience. It was a fantastic finish, bringing smiles and happy applause from the two families that had just enjoyed a wonderful performance.

As the music faded, Micah and Mary yelled "Yay!" Their father just stared quietly, soaking up the joy of his two kids.

After everyone stopped clapping, Joseph said to Chris, "I've never seen anything like that. You and your family are so talented and entertaining. You lifted our spirits, you made us laugh and applaud, and you gave us the best Christmas gift we could have ever received in what has been a very difficult year. Thank you!"

The Mouse family as if on cue, all bowed at the waist, with Chris holding his top hat out at the end of his front paw.

Chris said, "We're so happy to meet you and we're glad we could entertain you. We have to thank Danny for the stage and sets, and for orchestrating all of our performances. We bring the dancing and music, he brings the magic!"

Everyone clapped.

Danny started taking down the stage and sets as Donna said, "Let's go in the living room and sit by the Christmas tree. I heard that Santa came last night and he left a present for everyone."

Mary and Micah looked at each other, thinking, could this really get any better?

Everyone moved to the living room and sat on couches while Franklin took over.

"We have a gift for everyone this year. Each of you is getting a special Christmas tree ornament that you can hang on your Christmas tree to remember this Christmas."

Franklin reached behind him and pulled out the first ornament. It's a figurine of the biblical character Joseph, the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus.

"This is you, Joseph," Franklin says. "When you hang this on the tree, remember that God gave you a special gift - the privilege of raising two wonderful kids, of showing them the love that only a father can give, and raising them to honor the memory of their mother."

Joseph reaches out to receive the figurine. His eyes are glistening and his mouth is quivering just a little. He thinks back over this year as he clutches the figurine.

"And this is for you, Micah," Franklin continues. "It's a figurine for you to hang on the Christmas tree. It's the prophet Micah, who had a very important role in Christmas celebrations because he prophesized that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem."

Micah beamed as he reached out to accept the small figure. He held it tight thinking, "I'm going to tell everyone about the Messiah."

Franklin held one more present. It's a last figurine. It's a young woman wearing a beautiful robe, kneeling with her arms out.

"This is for you, Mary. It's a figurine of Mary, the mother of Jesus. You can hang it on the tree, or put it in a nativity scene at Christmas. It will remind you that you were created by God for a great purpose. You get to discover that purpose over the next several years, and don't forget that it's an important one."

Mary reached out to get the figurine, then clutched it to her chest. "This is the best present I have ever been given. Thank you!"

Joseph stood up and begins pulling things out of his pockets.

"These are Christmas decorations that my wife made two years ago. She decorated each one and they sat on our mantle. While they mean a lot, don't worry, we have many more that she made that we'll use to decorate our house every year. We just felt that by giving you these decorations she is still giving joy to others, as she did to us. And they're a symbol of our thanks for your friendship.

"Thank you for this day. We will never forget your friendship, the food, and the wonderful entertainment. Today was going to be a hard day, but instead you made it a special day. May God bless you for this amazing gift to us."

Everyone was smiling. It was indeed a wonderful day, filled with food, fun, laughter, entertainment and most importantly, love.

And, come to think of it, isn't that what Christmas is all about?

You can read more about Chris Mouse and his amazing family under Chris Chronicles Bedtime Stories right here