Christmas 2012

We spent Christmas vacation in Utah.  There was much about it that really stink stank stunk.  I will just mention those briefly for journal's sake and then will focus on the positive.

I started getting sick the day before we left.  We left at about 3am on the 22nd and drove to Durango, CO.  The kids were good.  I didn't feel well but Jason did most of the driving.  It wasn't bad at all.  It was very cold, which made me feel worse physically.  The hotel was decent but I continued to feel worse and grow a fever.  Luckily the next day we only had about 8 more hours to go.  The following day was Christmas Eve.  I was able to enjoy the Allred family party, though didn't feel physically well.  My health then took a dramatic downturn.  Most of Christmas day...and most of the rest of the trip was spent in Tyler's room at Jason's parents house (which Tyler so kindly gave up for us) in bed sick and feeling sorry for myself that I was so close to family and friends but wasn't spending any time with them nor doing anything Christmas-y.  Lila and Addie became sick as well.  Then it hit Jason, though only for a few days.  The drive home was horrific.  We left at 4 am and hit temperatures driving through South Eastern Utah of -13F.  I still felt bad, Lila felt bad, Addie had two throwing up episodes but was really good about trying to keep it in a bag.  We just drove and drove.  The kids were such troopers.  We'd decided to stop when we felt like we needed it.  I was miserable and wanted to be home so badly.  We pressed forward to Amarillo and by then there were only 5 hours left.  It was already 8:30pm but the thought of spending a night with kids throwing up and crying in a motel was worse than the thought of 5 more hours in the car, so we endured.  And then we were home at 1:30am and slept and stayed in our pajamas most of the next day.

So...it wasn't my favorite vacation ever, nor my favorite Christmas.  But here are some of the awesome things I remember, not in chronological order:

* Dad or Mom sitting at my feet on the couch during a short visit to Polk's End on Christmas Day.  I was not feeling well at all but their love for me as they rubbed my feet or put a blanket on me, filled my soul.
* Mom's video which she spent hours on to make Grace happy.  Grace had written her version of the screenplay to a Charlie Brown Christmas.  Mom helped to video grandkids from various states and edited the whole thing.  Grace was so happy to watch and it turned out really cute.
* Sitting on Nancy's couch on New Year's Eve laughing with her while the kids ran about.  I love that my kids love their cousins.
* Big kids sleeping over at Chris and Priscilla's house. Grace loves Maddie and Daisy.  Addie got along dazzlingly with both Goldie and Charly.  Love cousins!
* On Christmas Eve, newly married Tessa came in with her GB.  She was wearing a knit, flowing kind of long dress.  Miles, in awe, asked, "Is she a princess?"
* Andre's dance during the talent show on Christmas Eve.  I found a mix of an instrumental "Sleigh Ride" and Beastie Boy's "Money Makin".  He started out acting like he was going to do ballet and then the rapping came in and he started doing his hip hop.  I love it.  I don't even know where he came up with any of this stuff.  We don't watch MTV or any other dance shows.  It just comes naturally I guess.  It was very funny (and very good--all just created on the spot).  I think it really endeared a lot of the older boy cousins to him and they all treated him very well.  Especially sweet Joey (Allred) made a real effort to make Andre feel cool.

* Miles genuine excitement at  opening up any gift--even pajamas.  "PAJAMAS!" he cried with his eyebrows nearly to the top of his forehead.

* Snuggling with Lila.  She slept in our same room.  But she didn't really want anything to do with the playpen we had set up.  So, she slept with me or in my arms or snuggled next to me.  Some times it was hard but mostly I just really drank up all the one on one time that the two of us had together.  By the way, during the trip she named her blanket "Munny".  Her bunny is "Bunny" and she has sort of dropped off on always needing it.  But the girl has gotta have her "Munny".  Or is it "Money?"  Either way, its kind of funny to have her at church or someplace suddenly get upset and start screaming for money.
* Dinner with my mom and sisters (except for Meg who was, though, luckily at Polks End.  Although, unluckily, she was there recuperating from some surgery).  I love my sisters and we laughed so hard.
* The After-Dinner with my sisters and nieces.  I didn't know how I'd feel and thought it would be too late but during dinner I texted Jasmine and Tessa and asked if they could come over to Polk's End for a little while.  They came!  They brough Allie and Ryleigh and we all laughed and laughed.
* The After-Dinner-After-Laughing really cool talk with Jasmine.  Everybody was leaving to go home and Kathy was leaving, too, but Jasmine asked me, "Are you leaving yet?"  It seemed like she wanted me to stay and talk.  Whether that was the case or not, I flattered myself that it was.  She's received her mission call to Louisville Kentucky and will be leaving in April.  I knew it would probably be the last time I'd see her for 2 years so I was glad to stay.  We ended up talking for another couple of hours and I loved it.  I love my nieces so much.
* Sunday dinner at Mom and Dads.  Speaking of nieces, I was so happy to see London there.  She was so sweet.  She said that when she heard I was coming, they made sure to drive up from Bountiful.  Again, I was flattered that one of my talented and beautiful nieces would spend time with me.  I have had the opportunity to talk more with London lately and am amazed by her testimony, her depth of character, her fun personality, and her love. I also love her baby Roman!  My goodness that is a cute baby.  Grace, out of the blue the next day said, "I want to be a Mom like London when I grow up.  She's a really good mom."  I really appreciate all the other siblings/inlaws/nieces/nephews who came as well.  I know it wasn't just to see me and family, but I loved that evening spending time with all of them just like the old days.
* Tony's Pizza with Tyler and his girlfriend Naomi.
* Javier's for lunch with my lifelong friends Kelly and Patti
* Finding 3 super cute skirts on sale at Down East Outfitters.
* Snuggling with Addie while she had a high fever.
* Les Miserables with Chris and Priscilla at Newgate.
* Delicious dinners with Guy and Debbie.  They always open their home and make us feel like it is ours and offer us everything.  Their kindness and hospitality are overwhelming.  Regrettably we got Debbie sick a few days after Christmas so she was out for the rest of the holiday.  I felt very bad about that as she had just begun to feel better after recently being diagnosed with Diabetes (apparently she's been battling it for a couple of years but drs were so focused on her cancer that they missed it completely somehow).
* Hm...I'm sure there are so many more things.  Looking at that list, I feel so blessed that despite feeling so crummy physically, we were able to have all of these wonderful experiences.