Happy New Year and Cabin Fun

I love, love, love the chance to go to the cabin after Christmas. The frenzy of December is softened by eating, eating, eating, watching movies, sledding up and down the mountain, playing hours of Phase 10, Monopoly and Guess the Name Game. Sitting around talking in our PJs, going to bed late, getting up late, no phone, no guilt for not putting away the Christmas "stuff." This is my time to sit down and read a book in one day and then every night stay up late and read a Reader's Digest Condensed Book (I've read tons of mini novels I would never have read). The snow, the quiet and the beauty make it the perfect way to wind down and enjoy the end of the Holidays. We had a chance to spend the weekend at the cabin with just our family and Kaylee Lyman and Lauren Spencer and then we enjoyed the New Year with the Walls and Grandpa!

This year I loved watching Cameron learn to skate -- literally 1/2 hour to go around the first time and he refused any help. I also was so proud of him for being brave enough to be pulled up and down the mountain on the snowmobile sleds. At the beginning of the week he was in tears saying "they are all going to die" as he watched the kids go down on the sleds, and by Saturday morning he was begging Dave to take us up one more time, go faster, and yell awesome up and down the hill! Grandpa also bought a TON of poppers and streamers and the kids had a great time banging pans and making a mess. The next day the deck and front lawn looked like the remains of a frat party... but the clean up was fast and worth the fun.

The New Year had a sad note as we found out Rob (my brother) has prostate cancer. Definitely puts perspective on what is important. Terri and I were talking after midnight and I commented that I was "so thrilled to start the new year with a broken water heater." She laughed and said at least I wasn't starting the new year with a husband with cancer. We decided "husband with cancer" definitely trumps "broken water heater." News like this really helps you focus on what is important and what should matter. Rob and Terri (and their kids) have a really good attitude about the situation and they are great examples to me!

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.