A Recap

For the one reader, and mostly for myself, I wanted to recap a few highlights from our wonderful holiday season...

the polar express

One of my favorite traditions in December is our Polar Express Party. Contrived after a fun, and seriously expensive ride on the Polar Express (Heber Creeper) 8 years ago, we decided we could recreate the idea at home with make believe. We've done it every year since (minus one). Cookies (hundreds of them), kids in PJs, Santa, and lots of games, and of course the infamous story that Jeremy reads, followed by the cartoon grinch. Parents drop their kids off with us. We had 47 kids under the age of 10 this year. I've realized that chaos doesn't mean disaster to kids. So we provide the atmosphere, and create a way to minimize the chaos, and sit back and enjoy the experience. (it would be nice to have more room, but who cares huh?) I must admit I am a bit worried about focusing on Santa too much. I waffle between the magic of it all, and the true meaning of Christmas. I am working on an idea of trying to combine the two more next year, by having the kids participate in some service at the party instead of playing Santa bingo.


jer reading to the kiddos



a christmas coloring station



I LOVE the pile of shoes and coats that collects at our back door!

Another favorite tradition of mine is cutting down our Christmas tree together Thanksgiving weekend. We make a whole day of it and have been lucky enough to be accompanied at different times by Jeremy's parents, some of our siblings, my parents, and even Jer's grandparents. Unfortunately, little Naomi threw up all night the night before we were to go on that adventure this year. We were staying in a hotel in Logan. That made for a long night. The hotel ran out of extra sets of sheets I think.

The 23rd of December is our Bethlehem night. We light candles, sit on the floor in our living room by the fire. We eat mid-eastern food. (Naan is the kids favorite) and talk about what it must have REALLY been like when Christ was born. The conversation always starts like this: "Kids did you know that on the first Christmas there weren't any Christmas trees? No Santa? No bright colored lights? When Daddy and I lived in Jerusalem and visited Bethlehem, we realized how strange our Christmas traditions have become, compared to the simplicity of that special night." Sometimes we show them pictures of the Shepherd's Fields. We exchange gifts of love, which could be anything, as long as it wasn't purchased. Jeremy gave me a free pen from Staples this year. Olivia made me a sculpture out of Bendaroos.

Jeremy's family always has a progressive dinner. We visit his parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents homes and eat awesome food. The kids sometimes open a little present at each house. They love that part.

My mom's family always has a Christmas party the Saturday before Christmas. They eat bbq little weenies and lime slushees??? The kids act out the nativity and Santa comes. I've discovered a magical part of that night. There is a cemetary where my grandpa is burried, on the way home from my grandmas that is lit up with 1000s of luminaries on that night for a few hours. I stumbled upon it a few years ago. It was breathtaking. I imagine all the people it would take to light all of them. It is simple, quiet, and beautiful.

I could go on and on and on, but I think I will only share one other thing. Since we have been married, we have never once had a Christmas eve or day spent at home. We have either slept at my parents, or Jeremy's parents. It's a magical thing. The cousins all together. The parents staying up late wrapping and putting toys together. Watching an afternoon movie in our PJs christmas day together. I complain often that we haven't done our own, that its too stressful hauling everything back and forth, that we don't have any of our own traditions, that I feel childish, but as I write this, I realize how grateful I am for being so surrounded by people I love and that love me. I have a place. How lucky I am to not be forgotten, especially on Christmas, but really any day. To have an important job as a mother, daughter, wife, sister, aunt and friend. To be needed, wanted, and an integral part of a bigger group. To be missed when not there. I am thankful.

with so many people together at christmas, it always looks like presents have exploded all over the room,but remember there are like 23 people

kids waiting for thier turn in the nativity

cousins waiting on the stairs Christmas morning!

A kink in the plan...

Henry Wy-wy loves his binky. He LOVES his blanky. He loves going to bed because this is the only place he can enjoy his binky and blanky. He goes to bed wonderfully... until 2 nights ago, when he learned FINALLY to climb out of his crib. He is 28 months old. I think Addie was doing it a 7 months. SO, Thursday night, I went to bed early. Around 10. Jer was out exercising, and all the kids were in bed. I fell asleep immediately, only to be awakened by Addie with Henry in tow. She said, "mom did you know Henry was in my room playing with our store?" Befuddled, I put him back to bed and apologized to Addie for him waking her up. This happened (with Addie) 2 more times that night. I was so tired, i'd fall asleep, and he sneak downstairs. I finally stayed awake and sat by my bedroom door to listen. Moments after I put wyatt down, he would start giggling. He has such an adorable little giggle, and does it whenever he is happy. I would hear his little feet hit the ground and he would run for the door. Then I would hear the door open, and shut again, and giggles and cute feet padding down the hallway. Until I scared him by sneaking up on him, grabbing him, and taking him back to bed. We didn't get much sleep that night.

The next night I figured that it was time to take the side of his crib off, so he didn't injure himself getting out. I laid pillows on the floor, and sent him to bed. Of course he immediately got out of bed. However, I was waiting by his bedroom door. I sent him straight back to bed. Then I locked his door. Moments later, when he discovered the door was locked, he set into a full tantrum. He is not a quiet screamer. He screamed for quite sometime before I unlocked the door and told him if he got out of bed again, he'd get the door locked again. He did not get out of bed again.

Last night we had a babysitter. When I got home she handed me the key to Henry's room and told me she had quite a night trying to get him to bed. Hopefully she'll come back again to babysit after that experience.

So, whenever life seems so be going normal, I always find a KINK in my plans of a smooth easy life. Hopefully this little boy will learn quickly.