Christmas Day 2009

Top Things I Love This Christmas... in no particular order!

* Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for Lauren and Cameron! This year Lauren made a list of things to do in her bedroom while she couldn't sleep. About 11:00 pm Kenzi fell asleep, and at midnight Cameron and Lauren were still downstairs coloring, reading, talking, etc. Lauren just can't sleep on Christmas Eve! It drive me nutty, but fun to see her excitement.

* Lauren didn't wake up at 4:30 am this year. She managed to wait until 6:00 am to start calling us (I tried the Mayfield phone idea). Finally at 6:15 am Dave convinced me that they are only kids once and I should just let them get up.

* Kenzi screaming and running to hug me as she opened each gift. She is so sweet and so appreciative of everything.

* Cameron loving the "fingerless" gloves more than any present he got. (Which by the way were $1 gloves that I cut the tips off at midnight when I realized he really DID ask Santa for fingerless gloves). And then, Cam sledding with the neighbors on Christmas Day and only wearing the fingerless gloves, despite the frosted fingertips!

* Lauren giving everyone at least 5 gifts. Lauren is very generous and loves to buy and make people gifts. She made cool things at school, she bought fun gifts for everyone with her babysitting/cleaning money. When she was about 3 she started wrapping up anything and everything and putting it under the tree. This year she continued this tradition with gifts for all!!!

* Laying on the new couch as a family. It really was fun to snuggle all together by the fireplace and just be together.

* Dinner and games with the Russells. We usually get together on Christmas Day with them and this year was full of funny stories, great food and games!

* Just being together as a family on Christmas Day. I loved when I was growing up just laying around in jammies on Christmas, eating a big brunch together, playing with the games we got and just soaking up the Christmas music and spirit together. I had that same wonderful feeling this year.

Christmas Eve 2009

The food, the fun, the blessing of being with family, the slightly irreverant nativity scene (ok so Lorie's comment to Kerri made it more than slightly irreverant), the added Samuel the Lamanite sock throwing, the cemetary, the pajama dance, the caroling, the kids writing letters to Santa and leaving cookies, the anticipation of anxious little ones and mostly the feeling of love for my Savior hearing sweet words of Christmas songs... I love Christmas Eve!! This year we will all remember meeting Tara's new fiance Gavin, Lauren getting taped to the computer chair, the cool Grandma and Grandpa Wall photo boxes from dad and Rob, and the funny Ute shirts from the Walls.

My Dad ... The Man Who Would Give Anyone the Shirt off His Back

Ok... so if you know my dad you know he is quite a character. From the spelling of his name IVon (yes that is capital I, capital V and don't get that wrong), to the way he answers his phone "Walls Summer home, some are in and some are out, who would you like to speak to?" he is a very unique man.

But I think one of his most unique and wonderful characteristics is his generosity and life long giving. My mom and dad were always so incredibly generous to anyone in need -- they gave their money, their time, their home and most importantly their love to anyone in need. I have so many examples, most of which I will not share because he would be embarrassed that I did not keep them private. I will be forever grateful for his giving nature and what it has taught me and my children.

Today he had the grandkids come over and he gave us money to buy gifts for the Women's Shelter Candy Cane Program, The Road Home and The Family Connection Center. We piled in the cars and went shopping. The kids had a great time picking out gifts for mostly teens (apparently they get lots of stuff for kids/babies and not a lot for teens) and it was a great opportunity for us to talk to them about the kids who are homeless, or in a shelter away from an abusive father, or just are lower income and don't have all of the things we have. We added some cash to the bags of presents and one car headed up to Layton and the rest of us headed downtown. What a great example to me and to all of his grandkids.

This is the type of thing he did over and over growing up. Just a few examples that I don't think he would mind me sharing:
* He always gave poor people money on the street or often would buy them dinner.
* He brought a homeless guy to church with us and told him if he'd come to church he'd buy him a bus ticket to wherever he was trying to get.
* Every year our family did a Sub-for-Santa for someone and now every year he has the grandkids do a sub-f0r-santa or he gives a needy family money.
* Anytime a missionary goes out he always gives them money, and if he hears me talk about a missionary going out in my ward he often gives me cash to give to them.

Thanks dad for teaching us the importance of giving and sharing... I know 20 years from now my own kids will think of you when someone is in need... and hopefully they will follow in your footsteps.

Polar Express 2009 -- A Fun Christmas Surprise

In following Hess family tradition, we planned a Christmas surprise for the kids. A few months ago we got tickets with the Mayfields for the Polar Express. We didn't tell our kids... good job Mayfield kids for keeping the secret... we didn't tell them until we were pulling up to the train station, although we gave them lots of hints along the way.

Bundled up in robes and jammies -- we had a great time. With hot chocolate, dancing servers, elves, reading of Polar Express, Santa and Mrs. Claus a great time was had by all. We even drove by the North Pole during the trip.

Cameron had a new robe, just like the little boy from the Polar Express movie, and was so fascinated by every little thing. Great Christmas memories!!!!

Top 10 Things I Loved about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

Ok... so I couldn't narrow it down to just 10 things so I've added a runner up category and two #1s.

(Runners up... Kenzi getting "heeled" and losing a shoe while rushing into her spot. Wandering through the mazes under the Conference Center and Temple to go to dinner. Kenzi getting up the nerve to talk to Mr. Weeden, the librarian the kids love... he is in the MoTab. Watching the great choir give all of the little kids high fives and "elbows" as they walked past one another in the hall. Hearing Mac Wilberg tell the tenors they were a little flat on one note in one song... how the heck can he hear that with everything that was going on! Sitting with the kids and the choir in the Conference Center after the last performance while they all enjoyed the organ solo and watched the dancers and Christmas tree come up.)

10. The Conference Center... it is so beautiful!
9. The abundance of women's bathrooms at the Conference Center. I've yet to ever wait in a line for the bathroom there.
8. The amazing production.. 139 kids, 380+ Mo Tab, 50+ orchestra, 50+ dancers, bells, etc. The number that ends in 'O Christmas Tree' with the dancers and the tree coming up from under the stage. WOW!!
7. The Holly & the Ivy with Natalie Cole
6. David McColllough talking about and introducing his wife of 50 years... so sweet!
5. Watching the cameras pan the faces of the choir kids and seeing parents and choir directors getting so excited.
4. The spirit that amazingly beautiful music brings to my heart! I love, love, love Christmas music!
3. Kenzi getting to meet and take a picture with Bronco Mendenhall. And totally cool Bronco giving her his BYU bracelet he was wearing when she told him her dad was a big BYU Football fan. (He was so cute to Kenzi!)
2. The Organ Solo ... so great!
1. Watching sweet Kenzi's face on the big screen singing Angels in their Realms of Glory. I cry whenever they sing that song and to see Kenzi on a close up singing made my heart melt.

The Other 1. The presentation after the concert with President Monson, Natalie Cole and David McCollough. President Monson talked and thanked both of them... saying "the five most important words... we are proud of you ... and the two most important words... thank you." Natalie Cole then talked and said how impressed she was by the Mormons and the amazing experience she had. She thanked President Monson for the family history information he gave her and said how grateful she was we share a common faith in Jesus. David McCollough then talked about his wife and told a little history story about John Adams and a discussion with Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said that we need to have more ambition in order to succeed. Not ambition to gain power or money, but ambition to excel. He then said that during the past several days he had seen such a desire to excel and that the Tabernacle Choir, along with things like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Marshall Plan as an American icon and all that they contribute to the history and meaning of our country. President Monson seemed to be welling up with emotion while the two of them talked. President Monson and Natalie Cole hugged and then the choir sang "God Be With You Til We Meet Again." Natalie Cole fought back tears the whole song and it was very touching. Val and I decided the Sunday morning broadcast is one of the best concerts because you get to see all of the "cool" stuff at the end.

I'm sure this whole experience has meant much more to me than Makenzie, but hopefully someday she'll realize what an amazing and unique event she was able to participate in. What a wonderful Christmas for all of the kids who got to participate.

Gone Baby Gone... and within 2 1/2 minutes of posting

I finally broke down last week and bought a new car (well new to us). Can I tell you how nice it is to drive up a hill and have the transmission actually shift -- and to have kids in the car and not worry that we might not make it home?

Anyway... I posted the old Durango on ksl.com this afternoon and within 3 minutes someone called, met us to look at it and bought it a few hours later. On the phone he asked if we would hold it for him until he got there. I gave him disclaimer after disclaimer with all of the problems it has and he assured me he was a mechanic and would know what he was getting. (Horrid memories of the car buying stalker Dave and I had to deal with when we sold our CRV 15 years ago!)

I laughed thinking it was just a fluke we happened to get called so quickly. Well... not so much I think. Before I could get home and mark it sold on ksl.com I had 3 more calls about.

Apparently, there is quite a market for an SUV in pretty good exterior/interior condition -- but major engine problems.

Goodbye Durango that has so many great memories... we won't really miss you at all!!!