Christmas is Good

If you live in Utah, Christmas this year turned out looking like a Christmas card, with fresh snow Christmas Eve and a bright, clear Christmas morning. This was a welcome turn of events after a winter (and Christmas) without snow last year. The kids were so excited. The only downer was that several of the kids received bikes or other wheeled toys for Christmas, and have been unable to really test-drive them yet. Instead, Sully and Tillman have been riding non-stop around the house. (Good thing we installed those indestructible laminate floors.)

Christmas Eve. Abner is always missing from these pictures. He has a different bedtime than everyone else.

Mike's parents were stuck with just us this year, since none of Mike's brothers & families were able to make it home for the holiday. We spent a quiet dinner with them Christmas Eve and made it over to the barn for the traditional nativity program with the Sullivan clan. After our own family scripture reading and devotional that night, the older kids bunked out together in the basement family room, as is their tradition, while the little brothers went to their beds up stairs. It was a long evening for Mike and I. Let me just say, that the elves have to put in some long hours when you are talking about Christmas in a household with six children. But, in the end, everything came together for another magical Christmas morning.

Christmas morning we had the usual visit from my parents and little bro, Sean...who came by to say Merry Christmas and see if Santa had come. They also delivered the last of the gifts, a new dresser for the girls' bedroom, that had been hiding in the Sullivan's shed. The Bachand's also came over for a little while to enjoy the morning together. We love family! Later we had Mike's parents over for Christmas dinner, which turned out to be a bit of a challenge since our oven went out about a week ago (the latest in a string of appliances gone on the fritz). None the less, we had a feast: Ham, herb potatoes, cooked carrots, almond & cranberry spinach salad, apple and pomegranate salad, homemade rolls (thanks Jacque!), raspberry jello, and chocolate silk pie. It was a quieter Christmas than we have had in the past, but so lovely. 

The kids made out like bandits...some Christmas dreams do come true. (For example, Grace scored that Barbie castle she has wanted for years...and which was always either prohibited by the budget or her mother's protestation...mostly the latter. But you should have seen her face Christmas morning.)

When it comes to gifts that money can't buy, Mike and I did pretty well this Christmas as well, like the carefully wrapped, hand-written note from Grace which guaranteed us "a never ending supply of hugs and kisses anytime you like." You see what I mean?

Today we spent the day taking it easy. Mike took the snow blower out to do the driveway and some of the neighbors' walks. I swept snow off the Adirondack chairs on the front porch, and Mike and I sat out with a couple of mugs of Mexican chocolate, enjoying the snow like people do at fancy ski chalets. Ha ha ha.

Later, Jess and I went to exchange the boots she got for Christmas (there were 2 left feet in the box...seriously.), and then we went and had lunch mano y mano. We talked and laughed forever... it is really so much fun to have a teenage daughter! When we got home Mike was standing, frazzled with a baby on his hip (just like I look every afternoon), at the door going, "Where have you been?" I made it up to him, by letting him and the older boys go to see The Hobbit for a boys' night out together. (He had promised Tillman that if he read the book on his own he would take him to see it. Tillman read The Hobbit in 2 days. I was impressed.)
We are planning some quality family time over the next few days of Christmas break. Mike worked hard ahead of Christmas so he could take the rest of the year off (that sounds like a lot doesn't it) to be with us.

We have so much to be grateful for.  Mostly, for the Savior of the world who sacrificed so much for each of us. We love Him. And for family. We have been blessed to have had another year of memories together.
Thankful.