mostly for Megan

first there was crafting with Grandma Cyndee

then Don't Eat Pete

Finally...presents

Christmas 2008

a random & stilted version...

'Twas the night before Christmas, and Jim & I were tired.  We cuddled into our bed and I wondered if I'd be present enough come early a.m. to even be aware of the boys waking up.  And I wasn't.  The next thing I remember was a very excited A bursting into our room with the news: "Santa came.  He really came!"  D came trailing behind, "And he brought us presents."  They had already been downstairs to peek & prod, but we still herded them into our bed, got dressed and made them wait on the stairs while I took a few pictures (you can see D's consternation clearly...presents were waiting). Life isn't all peaches & cream with two close boys, but I do love how they cuddle into each other so cozily.

Aidan exhibited a whole lot of patience with D's ploddingly slow gift opening.D's favorite present (and new sidekick):My favorite gift for the boys were photo books I made for them on Shutterfly.

Christmas Eve:

We spent a quiet Christmas Eve at Mike & Kay's.  They are the King & Queen of breakfast and made us a delicious dinner of muffins, fresh eggs, bacon and o.j.   

I had to take a picture of our present for T because it has been a long time coming.  When the boys were younger, he always bemoaned the fact that fuzzy footed p.j.'s only came in toddler sizes.  He wanted some of his own.  So a month ago I walked into Target and busted into laughter when I saw adult footed p.j.'s.  And T did the same when he opened his very own.  I thought he was a great sport to wear them all evening. Though I don't blame him because I tried them on before wrapping and they were seriously cozy.

Christmas Day:

Our Christmas morning turned sour when Aidan's feelings were irreparably damaged by Jim opening D's present before his.  Oh my.  I still haven't discovered the real issue, but Aidan has been lashing out so often during the past two weeks (very not fun) that I fully expected something like this to happen on Christmas day.   He settled down for most of the day, but was not pleasant for the present opening that came later.  I'm digging into my stash of parenting books for the New Year. 

On a better note, I think our Christmas dinner was the most delicious I've ever had.  And that's a bold statement because we never suffer for good food in either Jim's or my family's gatherings.  Mandi made some insanely good homemade stuffing from loaves of french bread.  Cyn's rolls were amazing.  Jim's mashed potatoes were perfect (even with my hovering worries about too much pepper).  And the turkey was divine.  I have pictures of none of this feast, but my belly is having pangs of nostalgia as I type and remember. 

Tyler & Gina were down from Utah with their 4 boys.  My boys were in heaven.

The most entertaining part of my day was watching Mandi's Reagan (8 months old) and Tyler's Ryder (14 months old) interact. Ryder's Reagan enthusiasm seriously cracked me up.  He brought her toys, climbed on her back, blew on her belly and quite simply was enamoured.

Tyler's Noah was pretty funny, too.  And he looks uncannily like his dad did at the same age. 

Our night time entertainment was Rockband. At first we all took turns failing, but eventually everyone got in the groove and we rocked the house until the wee hours of the night. Tyler's cute wife Gina on drums.

None of us can touch Jim's guitar prowess.

Tyler playing the Ryder (who obviously gets randomly flung around quite often...check out the calm thumb-sucking stance!).

We kidnapped Wesley overnight, so the boys have been busily playing all morning.  So Jim & I are still in p.j.'s.  And the downstairs is still in disarray.  Which makes life feel rather holiday-ish.  JoDee will be coming with her kids soon and the partying will definitely continue.

Hoping everyone's day can be as sluggish as mine...

...and wishing Megan could be here for all of the Hendrix festivities...

Peace

I've invited myself over to Jenna's house for dinner several times, but she has always declined.  Until yesterday.  When she made us a gorgeous meal of spinach chicken ziti, mozzarella tomato and spinach salad (loved this!), and bread.  And then Tyler made crepes...and there was much whipped cream had. 

I neglected to photo the feast, but here's a picture I have of its founders:Then, as if that wasn't enough generosity...[even considering the season]...they kept our boys overnight. 

And that's how it came to be that Jim & I got to peacefully visit with Michael & Tasha last night...to laugh at Tasha's "cookie sutra" book...to be stunned by Michael's music writing/singing/guitar playing (wow.  just wow).

It's how it came to be that I peacefully slept in until 8:00am this morning, and now sit in an empty house, doing some yuletide prepping solo style.

Oh...I must mention that it's also how it came to be that I peacefully decorated cookies (solo style!) at my mom's house for an hour yesterday.  Heaven to hands who typically fights off tiny fingers the whole time they wield an icing bag.  Jenna took the boys while making me dinner.  I know.  I'm spoiled. sidenote: I could so happily set up a cake/cookie shop and be creative all day without a mess at my own house or littles at my own feet...some day (Mandy R!).

Much of my family will be here this week.  The house is slumbery quiet now, but by Thursday all will be abuzz (9 littles under 6!).  I relish both, which makes me think that Peace is a funny word - found in many extremes.  There's the peace of quiet, absolute calm.  Peace in the anxious energy of a husband who is feeling "trunky"(because we can't wait until you're only ours!).  And peace in the bustle of surrounded by people you love.  I'm grateful my week will reach so many parts of this spectrum. 

Happy holidays, indeed.

temple lights tonight

We can't boast any snow, but December in Mesa does have its charm.

ebb & flow

...or how I'm blessed.

My life has been stuck in the "ebb" part of the idiom this Christmas.  I nixed cards.  Then neighbor treats.  And now I'm planning to let JoDee help me make the Christmas gifts I (three months ago!) planned for my sisters.  When she comes.  The week after. 

But the beautiful thing about the universe is this:  when I ebb, others flow.  And how.  It's a magnanimous universe. After all.  And that magnanimity extends to the blessed minutia. 

Like yesterday when I was warming up a Costco tortilla, debating the viability of a quick-made salsa without fresh cilantro.  A knock on the door, and suddenly I'm sitting at the table with fresh homemade salsa from my Megan friend. 

And this morning I nearly called Mandi to make us some caramel (which she does divinely), but was waylaid by a call from Jim saying the Cook's dropped off homemade (you guessed it!) caramel that he stashed in a cupboard.  And, yes, it was divine.         

Yesterday morning Mandi and I hosted a brunch for ladies we visit teach in our church. And when they left, I thought about how blessed I am for the accident of living where I do. This was supposed to be our "temporary" situation, but I can't think of a better place to be "stuck". There are at least a dozen women in my greater neighborhood who would drop their day to help me through any need.

Then there was Monday night.  When I had a whole lot of baking to do.  But let me back up first to say how much I despise being downstairs in my kitchen at night when everyone else is snugly tucked into the upstairs world.  I steeled myself to the task, then dialed my Kelly friend as I walked down.  And she stayed on the phone with me for Kitchen-Aid noise, to-myself muttering, two bundts, marshmallows, and clean-up.  170 minutes of friendship flow.  Generous, indeed.

There was one other to-do nixed from my holiday list rather early.  I wanted a new Christmas mix.  With two requirements -  Michael Crawford's "O Holy Night" and Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.  Well, as I drove away from a soup & sandwich date last week, an April-made CD was popped into the player.  And on track 3 I decided mid-tears that Handel's Messiah is the most beautiful piece of music in existence.   A piece that borrowed words from a brilliant Isaiah, who clearly explains the source of all the generosity that ever was and is:  "And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." ...He who has the power to silence my pains, strengthen my weaknesses, bring comfort to my Ebb..and possibility to my Flow.