Holidays 2011

 
We had a wonderful Christmas as, for our third year in a row, we were able to stay at home and have our own cozy Christmas.  I mostly love the fact that we aren't packing up a car load of kids, gifts and gear just to get sick and travel on treacherous roads.  I would, indeed, love to see family but money, time and health don't always allow that.  A few of my siblings flew in to visit my parents and all of Jared's family is together in Utah, but both of those options are pretty far from here.  We were able to webcam Jared's parents on Christmas Eve so the kids could open their Christmas jammies that Grandma made for them.  And, we've been keeping up with my family via frequent phone conversations so that helps.

I am so grateful for this time of year and the focus on the savior.  We acted out the Nativity as found in Luke Chapter 2 as a family on Christmas Eve, with costumes and all but apparently I only recorded it on video and didn't take even one picture.  The girls know the story by heart and we had costume changes, etc. They were taking it very seriously, but Jonas was a little tired at that point and was throwing his shepherd costume on the floor, much to their dismay.  Christmas morning after a low key, yummy breakfast we went to a church service with a lot of Christmas music.  From what I could hear, it was really great, but I was out in the hall with grumpy Jonas half the time and on the time-sensitive phone conversation with my sister for another portion.

 We were also able to go to my aunt and uncle's house for Christmas dinner and visit with all my cousins, eat some good food and let the kids run around crazy in a pack.  

One of the highlights of my Christmas was being able to join the family phone call with my sister Kelsey who is serving a mission in Brazil.  I have missed her soooo much this last month and can barely think of her without getting emotional, so it was no surprise that I could barely get a coherent word out for the first several minutes of our phone conversation.  I was balling like a baby, when I'm usually the one who can hold it together.  It was so good to hear her voice.  She is working hard and trying to learn the language but that certainly doesn't make it easy.  I just wanted to transport her home for the day and give her lots of encouragement and love and send her back out again, as I know she is where she's supposed to be!

Not that we avoided being sick...  Jocelyn got the flu somehow so she's been napping and taking it easy on the couch the past couple days, but that also means that I haven't left the house so I have been making amazing headway on projects that I've been meaning to accomplish for the past several months (in between bringing her drinks and keeping Jonas and Lillian from interacting with her).  Everyone has new Christmas toys that they are interested in, and we have enjoyed just being home together and not rushing around like crazy to school, ballet and other commitments.

At Church Christmas Morning

The boys opening presents

The girls before a holiday party

We also hosted the neighborhood kids over for decorating “cookies for santa” and making some “reindeer food.”  It was sugary, messy and lots of fun on the only day off of school before Christmas.  

We are looking forward to a New Year's Eve Party at a friend's house tomorrow as long as the flu bug doesn't spread :) 

We hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday as well.