Forgive the length of the post, this is my detailed version of Christmas and pictures should be up soon.
Jonathan took two weeks off this year, so we had not only the week between Christmas and the New Year off, but the week before Christmas off. For his first day of vacation, or Monday the 21st, We spent part of the day at Valley of Fire. He wanted to visit the book section at the Moapa Tribal place, or where you buy fireworks, and figured we could go on some hikes out there too. We hiked to Mouses Tank and saw Atlatl rock. We also stopped by the Visitors Center and bought a few things. We showed the girls these cheese dusted larva and salt and vinegar crickets and Lilah now wants to have chocolate covered crickets. I’m sure if she ever has any it will not be because of me.รย We came home in time to relax a little and get ready to go feed the homeless with Carolyn’s work that night.
Tuesday the girls and I had a party with some of the mom’s and kids from the old mommy group and with a few new ones. The girls had tons of fun decorating gingerbread men and seeing old friends that are now in a different ward due to the split two years ago. Then that afternoon we went to Carolyn’s work party and they were able to see Santa. Lilah told him she wanted this cuddle cat and Eden told him she wanted dress-up.
Wednesday, I’m not sure what we did this day. It seems to me that we saw people, but my tired mind is not letting me remember anything. I think we went shopping this day. We had the girls go pick out gifts for each other and I had Jon help the girls pick out pajamas for me. He was mostly there to help them pick the right size, I think they may have wanted to buy me an XXL, but the pajamas I received were all them.
Thursday, Christmas Eve, Lilah and I went to Jon’s parents house to help decorate their tree. Eden had a slight fever the night before and got sick on the morning of the 24th. Luckily, it didn’t last and her stomach was feeling better by that evening when we went to my parents for Christmas Eve. Andrea, Brien, and Zarina we were in town so we were thrilled to see them. This was also the night to see Derek, Carolyn’s husband, because he works late he could only visit one family a night for the holidays. The girls got to open two gifts because they had to open their pajamas, but they also had to open the present Carolyn and Derek bought them since Derek would not be there the next night.
Christmas Day the girls got up earlier than normal, around 7:30 am, and we had them wait behind a curtain we had put up the night before. This tradition came from Jon’s family. His mother told us they started putting the curtain up to divide the dinning room from the living room, when they lived in a one room apartment in LA and the children’s sleeping area was in the dinning room. Incidentally it carried over that they put a curtain in a doorway to separate the children from whatever room the tree was in and they had to wait for their parents to let them go past.
We enjoyed a wonderful morning opening presents and eating yummy cinnamon rolls. Since we purchased the Wii and Wii Fit board, the girls got just a few small things. Piggy banks they got to decorate, UNO, Bob Books, dresses, a gift from Santa, and what they got each other. Jon surprised me with Batman The Dark Knight, which was a surprise because we had agreed not to get it, so I told Andrea to get it for us since they had our family this year.รย We then visited Jon’s parents and family for lunch and later we headed over to my parents house for dinner with the family.
I don’t remember what we did Friday, probably played the Wii a lot, but on Saturday we saw The Princess and the Frog with Andrea, Brien, Zarina, and Carolyn. We had tried to go all week long, but car repairs, sick children and actual holidays got in the way so Saturday we finally were able to see it together. I think all the children and adults thoroughly enjoyed it and we will definitely be purchasing it once on DVD.
