Merry Christmas. . .
January 02 2009 08:24 PM
For Christmas this year, we really tried to keep things simple and I think that we succeeded for the most part.
Early in the month, we took a trip to Temple Square. On the east side of the grounds up around by the Church Office Buildings, there were different nativity scenes from all around the world. Collin liked those. We’d taken a stroller for Michael and Annie and it was a very good thing because it was a very cold night. They were wrapped up in their blankets and coats. The best part was that they weren’t interesting in moving from their comfortable seats, which made our visit to Temple Square more enjoyable for the rest of us. We saw the nativity and I hope that Collin understood a little more the Christmas story and after which, we went up to see the Christus. I love the walk up the ramp to see it. It’s like getting a small taste of the immensity of space and how truly small and insignificant we are.
Here in Spanish Fork, they have what is called the Festival of Lights. Every year it’s held at Canyon Glen park and there are thousands of lights in different forms. They’ve got dinosaurs, penguins, frogs, deer, figure skaters, fishing polar bears, skiers, a light house, beautifully lit trees, a nativity scene; it really is beautiful and every year they add something new. It’s been a tradition in my family since I was 12, and now it’s fun to be able to continue this with my own family. The line was a little long, but since we’d didn’t have anything better to do we got in line, and it actually went pretty quickly. The kids loved the lights and became more ecstatic with every new thing that they saw. I loved their reactions. I think this tradition is a keeper.
For Christmas Eve, we went up to my Uncle Dennis’ house in Sandy. We weren’t able to go last year because of sick children, but we made it this year! I haven’t been to his house since the day that my aunt died in October, and in the days preceding Christmas Eve, I was getting a little anxious and emotional about going up there, mostly because I didn’t want to cry in front of everyone on Christmas Eve. As I walked into their house, the buildup of emotions rose to the surface and presented themselves as hot tears running down my face. I stood in the hall for a little bit to count to 100 and gain my composure so that I could be happy for everyone. I really did have a good time, there were cousins there for our kids to play with and it was so good, as it always is, to visit with family. We always start the evening with appetizers. My aunt Laurie made a puff pastry wrapped brie with cranberries and apricot preserves. It was very mild and oh-so-good. For dinner, we had sweet and sour meatballs; that is the tradition. Since my aunt always made them, Dennis and my cousin Candyce got to try their hand at making them, and they did a fabulous job. There were yummy homemade sugar cookies for dessert. This Christmas Eve tradition is my favorite. We stayed and visited until 9:30 or so and then went home to get our kids to bed so that Santa could come.
We usually open pajamas on Christmas Eve, but by the time we’d gotten home, all the kids were sound asleep. I opened Michael’s and got him dressed for bed, Matt opened Annie. As soon as Collin heard the word present, he was wide awake. We asked Collin if he’d like to leave milk and cookies for Santa. He told us that he wanted to leave cookies and hot chocolate because it was so cold and because on the movie The Santa Clause, Santa doesn’t drink milk. So we left out some cookies, and got the kids all in bed and began the work of setting out all the gifts. I love that part.
Since Collin is a little older, I anticipated a few interruptions throughout the night, but they slept until a little after 7:00 am, and even then, Matt had to go wake them up. We had things to do and people to see. Collin was excited about a Star Wars ship and action figures, Annie got some new dress ups or “dancing ones” as she calls them and Michael got some sports balls. They got a few more things than that, but that is what they were most excited about. Matt gave me a shake blender, a digital thermometer and some cooling racks and then totally surprised me with a 6 quart kitchen-aid stand mixer and a new set of kitchen knives. We’d talked about the kitchen-aid for quite a while and the price on Amazon had dropped really low. I’d almost considered buying it myself, and then decided against it. A while after that, the price went up by about $100! At that point I was positive that it was going to have to wait awhile. Somehow, though, Matt got it for a great price and it was the best surprise of my Christmas. We’d gotten Matt a 48” LCD TV in November, because our other TV died. He also got a Blu-ray player and some movies to go with it.
After presents, we made bacon, eggs, sausage and pancakes for breakfast, then got ready to go to my parent’s house in Provo. First, we had to track down my brother and give him the gift that we’d gotten him (Annie drew his name.) After trying in Mapleton, we found him at his in-law’s house in Springville . It was snowing and really windy and the crazy kid was wearing shorts! Hello! It’s not exactly 80 degrees outside. Gotta love my brother.
We made it to my folks house and had Christmas all over again. Collin got some Power Ranger action figures, (he doesn’t even know what a Power Ranger is, but they play well with his Star Wars guys, and he loves them) a pack of giant Star Wars coloring pages and some markers, and a magnetic Book of Mormon play set to take to Church. Annie got a really cute outfit, a magnetic Cinderella kit, a color magic Disney Princess coloring book and markers. Michael received an outfit, and a tractor, and I swear he got something else, but my brain is gone. He loved the tractor though and has had a lot of fun with that. We stuck around for some lunch. They had crab cakes, mini corn dogs, spanikopita, seafood dip and crackers, mini pizzas, giant muffins, it was quite the spread.
After Christmas at the Greenhalgh’s, it was time for Christmas at the Shelley’s and we headed up to Elk Ridge. We were having soup for Christmas dinner, and I had made Chicken Tortilla, my mil made Cheesy Potato soup and Matt’s grandma made something that I’d never heard of until I met her, and not since, called French Hunter’s Dinner. I’ve googled it to try to find the recipe, but without luck, and actually, that is okay, because it’s one of those things that I really have to be in the mood for. I think that that has actually happened once. It is made with canned spaghetti, ham, canned mushrooms; actually, Matt just informed that it’s basically got everything in it, so it’s a bit of a joke in his family. Dinner was good and so was the company. We were waiting for one of Matt’s sisters and her family to get there so that we could all open presents together. She’d just had a baby on the 22nd, and so was trying to make the rounds she needed for Christmas with a newborn. By the time she’d gotten up to Elk Ridge, she was tired, worn out and on top of that, sick with a stomach flu. Not good, especially when recovering from a caesarian section birth! Poor girl. We opened presents after she and her family arrived. They’d drawn our family for Christmas and she gave each of my children a homemade fleece blanket. She made Matt and I a magnetic F.H.E. board with magnets made with our pictures to indicate each assignment everyone has. It’s so cute! I couldn’t wait to hang it on my wall. Matt’s parents gave us a gift card to Happy Sumo (I am so ready for some sushi!) and his grandma gave us some food storage.
One of the best parts of Christmas was that I got to hold a sweet three day old baby boy. He is just so cute. He was dressed in a little Santa outfit, perfect for Christmas! It’s a lot of fun to receive and even to plan and give presents, but it’s most important to remember why we celebrate Christmas. The greatest give we were given was a baby boy who’d grow up to be the Savior of the world, and for that knowledge, I am truly grateful.
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