Merry Christmas!

This was our fourth (and final!) year spending Christmas in Ohio. It's been very fun to continue old traditions from our extended families as well as create new ones of our own. As always, we started things off with a yummy Christmas Eve breakfast at Cracker Barrel.Bryan and Andrew
Hannah
Logan and Summer
Hannah and Summer in the Cracker Barrel store.
That night, we all gathered around the Christmas tree in our new jammies (thanks, Nana and Papa) to read Christmas books and the Christmas story from the Bible.

Hannah entertained herself while we read.
After leaving milk and cookies for Santa, we went out on the lawn to leave magic food for the reindeer.
I think this may have been the first year in Ohio that we had some snow for our reindeer feeding tradition.
It was so comical to watch each child with their unique method of spreading their bag of food. Andrew just turned his bag upside-down and shook it out, Hannah threw it by the handful as hard as she could, and Logan crouched down close to the ground and very carefully sprinkled little bits of food in deliberate places all over the front yard. I even heard him whisper, "Here, reindeers! Come and get your food, reindeers!"Christmas Morning!!! (Don't they look excited?) The boys kindly slept in till 8:00 and we had to wake Hannah up.
Someone just woke up!
Andrew opening his microscope set from Nana and Papa.
Santa brought remote control cars for both Andrew and Logan.Hannah loved playing Mommy to her baby Snow White doll from Nana and Papa.A wireless Internet router for Bryan!
We were so spoiled again this year! In addition to the Netbook that Bryan and I gave each other, I also got a beautiful picture of the Salt Lake Temple from Brooke and Kody, a red wool peacoat from my mom and dad...
...and an awesome watercolor illustration of our family from our talented friends, the Tugeaus. Don't you just love it?!!
Hannah with her Christmas loot.
Logan's presents
Andrew...nice. (And in case you were all wondering, YES, he did get his alarm clock that he asked Santa for. Good thing.)
Just when the kids thought we were all done, Bryan pulled out one more present. It was a battery from Grandma and Grandpa Anderson that went to their new...
DODGE VIPER POWERWHEELS!!! Wow! Thank you so much, Grandma and Grandpa!

There goes the Lego table! Everyone better stay off the sidewalks!

Seriously?

Cleveland is getting old. Fast. Why did we move here again?

So it's about 10 minutes to midnight last night. We're lying in bed, trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to sleep when a bright light shines through the window four or five times in a matter of seconds. At first, I wonder if there's a UFO with lights circling outside our window. I get out of bed and look out the window to see a police car in front of the house with his spotlight dashing across our house and yard. I then look down the street to see not ONE, but TWO more police cars, lights flashing, spotlighting neighboring houses and blocking off our street. I think back, wondering if there's anything I've done in the past several years that could be considered a criminal offense (hmmm... I did pay that speeding ticket four years ago, right??). Next thing we know, a loudspeaker from the police car blares "come out and surrender now, or we will release the dogs!"

At this point, I'm at least somewhat confident that they're not referring to us. The question then becomes "what kind of crazy, desperate criminal is afoot in our neighborhood." And my next thought is "did we lock all the doors before we went to bed??" A few minutes later, we hear barking, and watch a K-9 following a scent through the snow in front of our house. This is followed by yelling and two uniformed policemen dashing across the schoolyard about 20 yards away. Police cars come flying by and I wonder again "Why did we move to Cleveland??"

Too Big For His Britches

Andrew: Dad, Can we watch "Miracle on 34th Street"?

Me: You haven't ever seen that movie?

Andrew: Dad, I'm seven! What do you expect?!

The Polar Express

We've been wanting to ride The Polar Express (Cuyahoga Valley Railroad) for a few years now, and so we were so excited to get tickets this year! "Aaaaaall Aboooooaaaaard!!!" Logan with the Conductor.

Decked in their Christmas jammies (thanks, Nana and Papa!), the kids listened to a dramatized reading of The Polar Express.
We all enjoyed delicious hot cocoa and cookies served by a very enthusiastic singing server. "Hot, hot, hot CHOCOLATE!"
YUMMY!When we neared the North Pole, the children were told to wipe the windows to get a better view.
The train stopped for a few minutes at the North Pole where we saw lots of Christmas lights and friendly waving elves.
Once the train started moving again, we all sang Christmas carols together.
The boys sang in the secret hiding place they found between the seats.
In the midst of the singing, the BIG GUY himself appeared to meet with each child.

Christmas Dressing

Yes, I admit it, I love dressing the kids all matchy-matchy -especially for the Sunday before Christmas. Silly boys!It seems like Hannah has had a cold FOREVER. Her nose has gotten so raw from all the wiping and her chin chapped from all the drooling. Poor Hannah! Exploring the fresh Christmas snow. On the way home from church today, Logan exclaimed, "Everything is all white! It's a winter wonderland!"

Okay, one more. I can't help it, she's just so darn cute.

Deck The Halls

I hesitate writing this post. I feel guilty writing about something as trivial as Christmas decorations at a time when my family is suffering such a heartbreaking loss. I wish I could be with Bryan to support him right now. Instead I'm at home nearly 2000 miles away, surrounded by holiday things meant to evoke a sense of merriment and celebration. It seems all wrong.
So forgive me if this post is too self-indulgent (I know I tend to be that way sometimes), but I wanted to record the thoughts I had tonight. I have a feeling this is going to be a long post so feel free to skip over some of my ramblings and just look at the pictures.

After the kids were in bed, I walked around the house, looking at all the decorations. I started out feeling pretty lonely, but after a while, I noticed that I wasn't really thinking about the decorations themselves, but the people in my life that I am reminded of when I look at them. I noticed that I was feeling very loved.
Of course there are the greeting cards, picturing dear friends and family so far away, but there are so many other things around me, replaying memories of the people I love:
On the mantel sits a painted porcelain nativity set given to me by my grandparents...
... right next to the JOY blocks painted by my mom.
My parents gave me my holly Christmas dishes several years ago. I love them!
The tree is extra special to me. It reminds me of Bryan. When Andrew was just a baby (2002), we spent Christmas in Disneyland with my family. I found these beautiful Mickey and Minnie Mouse Christmas ornaments in one of the shops and absolutely fell in love with them.Bryan's not as much of a Disney fan as I am, but he knew how much I would love them, so he bought as many as he could. We didn't have much money, so I never expected to have one, much less a whole tree full!Bryan is always doing such thoughtful things for me. I know he loves me. I sure am missing him right now.
Last year, I spent most of December in Utah for my sister's wedding, so I didn't decorate for Christmas at all. I flew home with the kids on Christmas Eve, feeling a bit sad that we wouldn't even have a Christmas tree for Christmas. I never expected that Bryan would surprise me by decorating the house for me while I was gone. I will never forget that act of love that meant so much to me.
Seeing the star on the top of the tree always makes me smile and think of Andrew. A couple years ago, he chastised me for topping the tree with a bow instead of a star. He said, "That's not how you're supposed to do it, Mom! You're supposed to put a STAR on the top to remind you of the star when Jesus was born!" Lesson learned.
Down in the family room, hang the kids' stockings, also from Disneyland. We bought Andrew's Mickey stocking on that first trip to Disneyland with him. The Goofy and Minnie stockings were from the next trip when Logan was a baby (2005). The Minnie stocking was Bryan's idea. Even though it was almost three years before Hannah was born, said he knew our next baby would be a girl, so we'd better be prepared. He has been right three out of three times! How does he do that?
I love this little Santa, handmade by my talented Aunt Debbie. I hope she is having a wonderful First Christmas with her new husband, Glen.
My parents also gave me my gorgeous Willow Tree nativity a few pieces at a time over several Christmases. They were fun gifts to look forward to, wondering which pieces I would get next. I have been truly blessed in my life to have such good, loving parents. I hope they know how much I love them.
Russ and Angela gave us this nativity statue, which is kind of bitter-sweet to think about. This year it's an even stronger reminder of the reason we celebrate Christmas. I'm feeling a lot of gratitude for Him whose birth we are celebrating. I'm so grateful for the hope He gives us and the reassurance that, because of Him, this life is not the end.