Merry Christmas!

We had an amazing Christmas this year. The kids were so good and so excited! And believe me, I played the Santa card, and it worked. We honestly had a little "Christmas buzz" at our house the entire month of December. If you haven't noticed, we're pretty lucky at our house. We get to celebrate holidays twice, so our Christmas started in Panguitch a few days before Christmas--yes, my kids are incredibly spoiled. They got so many presents! Grandma and Grandpa could honestly replace Santa Claus. The best part was when Sierra opened up Kit, the American doll she's been wanting. For about the past month she's actually been "pregnant" with Kit, waiting for her to come. How cute! When she opened her up, she honestly was in awe. It was one of those moments you dream about as you spend all of your money on Christmas presents. You would also not believe the treasure chest that Grandma gave the girls filled with dresses for their dolls that she had made. It seriously is amazing! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Next we had Christmas Eve that is full of lots of traditions with the other side of the family. We had the "Nativity Pageant", which I place in quotation marks because what we actually have is a very loose use of the term. The kids actually cooperated quite well this year, but we did have two Josephs (Sierra and Olivia), a walking Baby Jesus, the producer/director (my mom) and the narrator (my dad) arguing throughout about how it's supposed to go, and the worst rendition of Christmas carols I have ever heard. We also had the talent show in which Mekinley blew the socks off everyone singing "This is the Season." It brought some of us to tears. Sierra conducted she and Livy in her very own Christmas song. And my Grandpa played "Holy City" on his saxophone accompanied by my mom, which they have been doing every year since my mom was in 3rd grade. Now, my grandpa just celebrated his 81st birthday so we were all thrilled that he played it (and didn't pass out!). All my mom's kids also played for her "Normandy Carol/Away in a Manger" which she requests every year. We used to have a Bluegrass family band and this is the only time we will all play together and it's only because she begs us. Then of course comes the presents, and once again, Santa is retiring next year and letting Grandma and Grandpa take over.

Like I said, lots of traditions. But when I look back on all of my Christmas's to date, I do so with a full and happy heart and a half smile/half smurk covering my face. And I think of my grandma who when after her cancer diagnosis was given 6 weeks to live, but lived twice as long as that because she just wanted to hold on for one more Christmas. She truly loved Christmas, and I think it was because through Christmas she could best express her love, instill her values, and pass on important traditions to her posterity. And it worked. I think every Christmas as we gather together, we honor her. We thank her for the love, values, support, friendship, and traditions she gave us. And I know she's with us.

This Christmas Eve we had a great surprise--Santa Clause! Yes, he actually came to our house! We came home from the Cristmas Eve party and were getting ready for bed when suddenly there was a knock on our door. Kinley opened the door and standing on our porch was Santa Clause. Kinley screamed, "Mom! Mom! Come look who's here!" He then came in and both Sierra and Mekinley got to sit on his lap and talk to him. Sierra wasn't even afraid. They were so shy and just kept looking at him with amazement. He gave them each a bell from his sleigh and told them to go to bed so he could come back with his reindeer and sleigh. After he left, Mekinley said that her tummy kept "flipping" because she was so nervous. Sierra kept saying that she and Mekinley must be really special. It was so much fun!

After all this lead up, finally came Christmas morning. We opened presents and played with all of our new toys, as if we needed any more. We had one more Christmas party that evening and finally called it good. Whew! It really was a great Christmas filled with all that Christmas should be filled with: food, treats, more food, and more treats, presents, songs, laughter, love, and family.