Warning: A lot of words+no pictures=possibly a boring post!
In preparing for Christmas, we asked Matt if there were any traditions he had while growing up. The one he mentioned that the kids latched onto was the "Grandma bought pizza on Christmas Eve." So, the kids told Nana she HAD to buy pizza for us on Christmas Eve cuz Matt said :)
Nana and Papa arrived back in Franklin around 5 pm on Christmas Eve. We had a great evening. We ate the required pizza, read Luke 2 and Christmas stories, we watched some great BYU short animation movies (over and over and over they were that good!) and opened presents from Nana and Papa. As usual, they spoiled us!
We got a toaster oven, which we all love and adore. I also got a cookbook and Matt got a wallet and some glass dishes. I have to tell you. I think the glass dishes are his new favorite thing. I have been sending his lunch in just plastic bowls and I guess the other boys have glass bowls. Well, now he is the "same as the other boys" and is feeling much better about himself! Among other things....Ali got a backpack, Kat got an iTunes card and Luke got Lincoln Logs.
Poor Nana and Papa were falling asleep where they sat so we tried to hustle them off to bed. Did I mention their flight was for 6 AM Christmas morning? 'Of coarse you got a good deal on the tickets, Nana, who else wants to fly at 6 AM Christmas morning?!?!?' After we got Nana settled, my men and I wrapped the remaining gifts. I hope the best part of Matt's Christmas was getting it all ready for the kids. He seemed to have a great time. He was there for almost every gift purchase and wrapping. Sans his own, of coarse! Matt, Papa and I were up till well past 11 pm, but we had a good time talking and laughing. Some of the laughing I didn't get filled in on until the next day.
Side-note: As I have mentioned before in this blog, Matt has know my parents for years, even decades. He loves them. He has loved them independent of me for almost ever. And they have loved him. It is so easy for all of us to be together. There was no adjustment period. Maybe a brief period of redefining roles from very good friends to parents and son, but nothing that was difficult or uncomfortable. Ok, back to the story. At least I warned you this was going to be a boring post!
Christmas morning we got up at 3:30 AM and got ready to head to Nashville airport. The roads were dead and so was the airport. Dead, I tell you, dead. Telling my parents goodbye is always very difficult. I love them so much. So very, very much. My mom said it was easier to leave me this time because she saw my life and saw how much Matt loves the kids and myself. She knows we are being well taken care of.
When Matt and I got back home, we climbed in bed for a little while. A very, little while!
There are good and bad things about the kids getting older. They sleep in a little more, but they are getting "bigger" gifts and so they get fewer items to open. And in the case of our teenager, she already knew what was in every single present. Please tell me we aren't the only parents who let their teenager pick all their gifts! There is really much less gift returning that way.
Ali got a pink camera with a pink case from Santa. We also gave her the book The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas and a purple pea coat. Ali also got a card and money from Grandma and Grandpa Paine who are serving a mission in Scotland and some PJ's from Grandma and Grandpa Olson.
Kat got a iTouch from Santa. She also got some shoes (that have been retuned and no replacement found) and the book Peak. Kat also got a card and money from Grandma and Grandpa Paine and a dress from Grandma and Grandpa Olson.
Luke got a "real" remote control car from Santa. It should last until adulthood! He also got PJs (that have been given to a friend cause the tags were removed before he tried them on and found them to be far too small) and a paper airplane book. Luke also got a card and money from Grandma and Grandpa Paine and a Lego's car from Grandma and Grandpa Olson.
We gave Matt an "elephant art" picture. He has always wanted one. Kind of crazy, I know. Who came up with putting a paint brush in an elephant's mouth and letting them paint? I was going to put a paint brush in the kid's mouth and let them paint, but the kids told me it HAD to be elephant art!
I got a thesaurus from Matt and the pink snow leopard Webkinz from the children. This is where part of the laughing came from the night before during the present wrapping time with Papa and Matthew. Ever since we moved here, I have been moaning about my dictionary. It is falling apart and actually was when I bought it from a used book store. So, Matt decided he was going to buy me a new dictionary for Christmas. When he took it out of the bag to wrap it on Christmas Eve, he realized he had accidentally picked up the thesaurus that had been laying right next to it! Matt was so sad he had bought the wrong item, that when I opened the Webkinz right after the mistakenly given thesaurus, I promptly named the Webkinz Dictionary! And, yes, I now have my own Webkinz account and everything! Her legal name is Dictionary :)
Each year, my siblings trade names. As there are only three of us, it is easy to remember who to give to each year! Sara had us this year. She gave us an adorable Yahtzee game with our faces on the dice. Way too cute! She also gave us Enchanted which is one of my all time favorite movies! Matt's sister, Sarah (yes, we both have Sara-hs!) gave us girls homemade bracelets and the boys a 007 model. Aunt Stacy sent our very favorite sweet and sour sauce.
Thank you!!!!
We love family!!!!!
The rest of the day was spent very quietly. We played with our presents, talked to family near and far and had a delicious dinner of smoked turkey. It is the ONLY way to eat turkey my friends! Yummy!
The next day we went hung out with our Paine cousins. We L*O*V*E going over there and being with them. Family is a huge part of our lives.
We are a very blessed little family in a very blessed country. I am thankful for the Christmas season to take some time to slow down a bit and spend more time in our pajamas. There are always problems and challenges in our lives. Those make our blessings and good times that much better. With the help of our families and our Savior, we can become better and stronger people. It was a difficult and wonderful year. Thank you to everyone in my life who has been there for me. I love you all.
And as Luke says...
Peace-out to 2009!!!
