Christmas With Us is more than an album—it’s a fireside invitation to belong. With every acoustic strum and story-rich lyric, it reminds you that you’re never truly alone at Christmas. These songs wrap around you like a favorite sweater, echoing the voices of family, memory, and hope. Whether you’re homebound or heart-heavy, this Americana collection keeps the light on and the love flowing. Put it on, and Christmas comes with company

Christmas With Us🎄 Family Playlist🎄

We were just gettin’ by on a patch of land
A family farm worked by calloused hands
Christmas each year depended on the yield
And this one looked thin from the frost in the field
We’d scrambled hard to bring the harvest in
Before the cold set deep in the wind
Mama kept hope in the kitchen light
But you could feel the worry in the quiet nights
Then one morning, Dad said, “Let’s go”
Tossed me in the truck, drivin’ slow
Radio played Perry Como’s song
“Silent Night,” and we sang along
He turned down Main, past the feed and grain
Where the pickup rarely ever came
I felt a buzz in my chest and gut
Like somethin’ big.. like somethin’ was up
We pulled up to Jeff’s Jewelry place
Dad had a look I couldn’t quite trace
Jeff met us both with a quiet smile
Said, “Ain’t seen you two in a while”
then he handed Dad a velvet sack
Opened it slow, then stepped back
Inside was a locket, gold and devine
With all our names etched inside
and a photo of us all look'en just fine
We’d bought a lot of things, some big, some small
But that was the best thing of them all
A photo of us in the autumn leaves
Holdin’ tight to what we believe
It wasn’t about gold, or what it cost
It was love you carry, never lost
I learned then, what a gift can mean
That was the best thing I've ever seen
On the ride back home, I looked around
At the fields, the barn, the frozen ground
Then I saw the rack behind Dad’s seat
Where his old Remington used to be
That rifle was part of our everyday
Hung in the truck like it’d always stay
But now it was gone, and I understood
He’d sold it off for better then good
Mama opened the box that night
Tears in her eyes, soft candlelight
She held that locket close to her heart
Like it stitched our lives into one small part
And Dad just smiled, didn’t say a word
But in that silence, everything was heard
We’d bought a lot of things, some big, some small
But that was the best thing of them all
A photo of us in the autumn leaves
Holdin’ tight to what we believe
It wasn’t about gold, or what it cost
It was love you carry, never lost
I learned then, what a gift can mean
That was the best thing I've ever seen
Yeah, the best thing we ever found…
Was the love that never let us down

All rights held by the songwriter Edwin H. Balder
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Better Than Good

The House has been rumblin’ for a week or so
Folks talkin’ ‘bout snow, lights startin’ to glow
But it ain’t just the gifts or the food on the stove
It’s the sound of the season that pulls me back home
I remember the gospel from the church down the street
And Perry on the record with that mellow beat
It wasn’t the tinsel or the tree trimmed just right
It was singin’ together that made Christmas feel bright
Mama hummin’ low while the pie cooled down
Daddy tappin’ time with a grin, not a frown
We didn’t have much, but we had enough
‘Cause Christmas with love is the real kind of stuff
So don’t wrap it in silver, don’t dress it in gold
The heart of the season can’t ever be sold
It was Christmas with us, not just Christmas alone
Voices and laughter, a place to call home
The music, the memories, the stories we trust
That’s the magic of... Christmas with us
Now I’m standin’ here with my own little one
Tryin’ to pass down the joy, the warmth, the fun
We play those old records, we sing through the night
And I see in her eyes that same kind of light
I wonder how many stood here through the years
singing here now with my child, fightin’ back tears
Thinkin’ ‘bout winters when I was young
Free from worry, the world was fun
Snowball fights ... sledding down the hill
Laughin’ loud in every winter thrill
Every Christmas a family dream come true
And now I’m passin’ that dream to you
It was Christmas with us, not just Christmas alone
Voices and laughter, a place to call home
The music, the memories, the stories we trust
That’s the magic of ...Christmas with us...
Thanks to the dreamers, the singers, the cooks
To the ones who find magic in old storybooks
To the families that gather, the friends who still care
May your Christmas be full of the love we have shared
It’s Christmas with us, not just Christmas ..alone
sending our family's love to your home....
....Merry... Christmas......love...from all of us....

All rights held by the songwriter Edwin H. Balder
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Christmas With Us

Uncle Boo played ‘em all
From the Grand Ole Opry to Preservation Hall
And when Christmas came, if he wasn’t on tour
He’d come back home through the old screen door
He’d bring with him sweet old Betsy
A pre-war Martin, worn but sexy
Passed down from his daddy’s hand
A six-string soul from a sacred land
And on Christmas Day, he’d sit and play
By the fire’s glow, let the carols sway
He'd sing his music, the whole house warm
Wrapped in love, we all sing along
And little did I know that year—
He’d leave me more than songs to hear
After dinner, coffee poured
The snow fell soft outside the door
He tuned up Betsy, low and sweet
sang like angels'... feelings deep
We joined in on “Silent Night”
And “O Come All Ye” felt just right
The room was still, the hearts were wide
And Boo just smiled with quiet pride
And on Christmas Day, he’d sit and play
By the fire’s glow, let the carols sway
He'd sing his music, the whole house warm
Wrapped in love, we all sing along
And little did I know that year—
He’d leave me more than songs to hear
Folks were grabbin’ coats and gloves
When Boo gave me a little shove
He said, “I’m not hittin’ the road no more—
So I’m givin’ you what I adore”
He handed me that precious girl
That D- forty-five, that whole damn world
I tried to say no, tried not to cry
But he just winked ..and.. waved... goodbye...
He said, ‘This guitar’s seen every stage
From honky-tonks to chapel praise
But now it’s time for her to stay
And sing your songs on Christmas Day’
I held her close, I felt the weight
Of every note, of every fate
And knew that Boo had passed love down
On Christmas day ..in his ..old.. hometown...
Now every year, I take that seat
Where Boo once played so calm, so sweet
And when the family gathers near
That D forty-five still rings sincere
And on Christmas Day, he’d sit and play
By the fire’s glow, let the carols sway
He'd sing his music, the whole house warm
Wrapped in love, we all sing along
And little did I know that year—
He’d leave me more than songs to hear
fingerpicking guitar solo
Uncle Boo’s D forty-five… still sings our Christmas alive

All rights held by the songwriter Edwin H. Balder

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Uncle Boo’s D-45

Mom’s been workin’ overtime
Pressin’ clothes so we all look fine
Dad had the car in the garage all day
Polishin’ chrome, clearin’ the gray
now Ready to go, hearts dressed in grace
To meet the night in a holy place
Midnight Mass, down on the square
Where every soul from town was there
Neighbors, classmates, farmers too
All in pews Praying to you
And in your glow, the world felt right
Wrapped in love and candlelight
hearts were warm, stars were bright
In our little country Silent Night
We saw the folks we’d known all year
From school hallways to hauling gear
But tonight, no work, no fear, no run
Just quiet songs and the Holy One
The choir sang with voices low
And we sang along to hymns we know
The bell rang soft, the priest stood tall
And peace came down to touch us all
Midnight Mass, down on the square
Where every soul from town was there
Neighbors, classmates, farmers too
All in pews Praying to you
And in your glow, the world felt right
Wrapped in love and candlelight
hearts were warm, stars were bright
In our little country Silent Night
I held my coat, Dad held my hand
We didn’t need to understand
And when we sang “O Holy Night”
I saw my mother’s eyes take flight
She’d worked so hard to get us there
And now we stood in answered prayer
It wasn’t just tradition’s call
It was the grace that held us all
From boots and barns to polished shoes
We came to feel what love still proves
That even in the coldest air
A light can rise from anywhere
Now every year, we dress and go
Through snow and time and candle glow
And though the town may change its face
That church still holds our sacred place
Midnight Mass, down on the square
Where every soul from town was there
Neighbors, classmates, farmers too
All in pews Praying to you
And in your glow, the world felt right
Wrapped in love and candlelight
hearts were warm, stars were bright
In our little country Silent Night
hearts were warm, stars were bright
In our little country Silent Night...
country.. Silent ..Night...

All rights held by the songwriter Edwin H. Balder

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Country Silent Night

Packed my bag, my finals done
No ticket, no wheels, just chasin’ the sun
Held out my thumb on the interstate
Cold wind bit, but my heart felt great
First ride was a trucker named Joe
Said he missed his kids in Idaho
Played me Elvis on the dash
Told me Christmas flies by fast
Thumbin’ home for Christmas time
Every mile a different rhyme
Stories shared in borrowed seats
Hearts that meet on snowy streets
Didn’t know where I’d end that day
But love kept showin’ me the way
Next was a nurse in a beat-up van
Said she’d worked three shifts, barely ran
She gave me cocoa in a paper cup
Said “Christmas heals, but it still cuts up”
She talked of her mom who used to bake
Of candlelight and frozen lakes
And though her eyes were tired and red
She smiled like joy was just ahead
Thumbin’ home for Christmas time
Every mile a different rhyme
Stories shared in borrowed seats
Hearts that meet on snowy streets
Didn’t know where I’d end that day
But love kept showin’ me the way
Got picked up by a young Marine
Said he’d seen things I’d never seen
But Christmas made him feel brand new
Like peace was something he could do
He gave me gloves, said “stay warm, kid”
And told me things he never did
We sang along to Springsteen loud
Two strangers lost, but somehow proud
Last ride came from a man named Ray
Said he’d driven since Christmas Day
He missed his wife, she passed last year
But kept her photo on the mirror
He dropped me off at my old street
Said “go find joy, go feel complete”
I waved goodbye, then turned around
To see my folks and hear that sound
Those were the days, no fear, no phone
Just a thumb and hope to get back home
Now they’d say it’s far too wild
But back then, I was just a child
And every ride, each voice, each face
Was part of Christmas’s embrace
I didn’t know what I would find—
But I found love in every kind
Thumbin’ home for Christmas time
Every mile a different rhyme
Stories shared in borrowed seats
Hearts that meet on snowy streets
Didn’t know where I’d end that day
But love kept showin’ me the way
Now I sit by the fire’s glow
Thinkin’ of the long ago
And all those rides, and all those hearts—
That made my Christmas from the start

All rights held by the songwriter Edwin H. Balder

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Thumb'en home

Coffee brewin’, slippers on
Lights still blinkin’ just past dawn
You tear the ribbon, I catch the fall
Crimson scraps and silver sprawl
a box is opened, joy released
And I’m the one who clears the feast
A crumpled bow, a tag half-torn
A memory made, a moment born
I gather bits from where they land
And fold the day with quiet hands
I’m the keeper of the wrapping here
The one who moves through joy and cheer
While gifts are opened, hearts are wide
I make sure every scrap’s inside
And though my part is soft and small—
It’s how treasure the love of all
gentle, melodic acoustic hook
The kids are wild, the paper flies
A storm of sparkle in their eyes
You hold your gift, you beam so wide
I fold each wrap and set it aside
andI see beauty in the pile
from every merry christmas smile
I’m the keeper of the wrapping here
The one who moves through joy and cheer
While gifts are opened, hearts are wide
I make sure every scrap’s inside
And though my part is soft and small—
It’s how I treasure the love of all
The dog’s asleep beneath the chair
A ribbon’s tangled in your hair
I catch a glance, you wink at me
Like you remember silently
That every year, through all the cheer
I’ve been the one who’s always near
every gift of paper and bows
brings a joy that nobody knows
My christmas gift of watchin’ you
Unwrap our life, our laughter too
I’ve seen the years in paper trails
The way our joy never fails
From tiny hands to grown-up grace
I’ve held this space, I’ve kept this place
And when the day is packed away
And silence takes the stage to play
I’ll still be here, while other are napping
living large as ..Keeper.. of ..the ..Wrapping
I’m the keeper of the wrapping here
The one who moves through joy and cheer
While gifts are opened, hearts are wide
I make sure every scrap’s inside
And though my part is soft and small—
It’s how I treasure the love of all
The Christmas paper’s gone, the.. room ..is still—
But love remains… and.. always... will

All rights held by the songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Link to more of our Singer/songwriter style hits you can cover into fame because of your take!

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Keeper of the Wrapping

In the shadows of Apache Junction, at the foot of the majestic Superstition Mountains, sits a weathered hacienda. This desert oasis is home to an enigmatic figure, a songwriter whose journey reads like a long, dusty road of honky-tonk bars and college cafeterias. He wasn't chasing fame or glitter; instead, he chose the soul-crushing beauty of music for music's sake.

Years spent hunched over sticky barroom tables and scribbling lyrics on napkins earned him a reputation—not in the spotlight but in the back rooms where deals are made. He wrote melodies that found their way into the hearts of stars who had lost their own muse. He sold his creations for cash, with no recognition, but the whisper of his songs carried the weight of his soul.

Finally, he bought this piece of desert paradise—a stable income from his timeless songs allowed him to live comfortably, if anonymously. Here in this hacienda, with his family beside him and the mountains as his backdrop, he found the peace to write hits under his own name. He chuckled at the irony that now, without chasing fame, he could create music that brought him joy.

In the end, it was never about the spotlight. It was about the journey, the stories, and the songs that wrote themselves through his life. As the sun set behind the Superstitions, casting long shadows over the hacienda, he strummed his guitar and sang—content, unknown, and unburdened by the world's gaze.


Copyright 2019 Edwin H. Balder

I may be dead when fame comes but my real glory was always JULIE & The Kids. Thank you for such love

Keeper of the Wrapping

Edwin Balder