Merry Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and yours. What a wonderful Christmas day it has been. We have not had a white Christmas for ten years, so they say, here in Boise, Idaho...and it is white everywhere I look. Our family sat and watched the snow fall late into Christmas Eve night.

Our tradition for Christmas eve starts out by caroling to our neighbors and taking them a bottle of honey or other sweet treat. We have been doing this for about 20 years now because that is how long we have lived in this home.....May 1988 is when we moved here. The first year I will never forget caroling to a neighbors home and the neighbor was so caught off guard that they asked us "What do you want"...we responded with "just want to wish you a Merry Christmas". From then on, they have anticipated our carol. Yesterday afternoon this neighbor called us because they were afraid they would miss us and wanted to make sure they would be home. We love each of our neighbors - we know them all by name - what a blessing to feel safe and secure on your street.

At 7pm, our neighbors, Joan Grimm and her son, Rick came over for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, homemade clam chowder, relish plate, homemade rolls, then warm gingerbread with (fat free) cool whip. We then had a nice evening of stories, memories, concluding with "Joy to the World" produced by the LDS church.

When our neighbors have left, we then relaxed, reminisced, then as tradition continues, the new 'red' pajamas (which is a tradition continued from my childhood)....then reading of The Polar Express....then the children retire to the family room downstairs to watch Christmas movies, have fun as siblings.......fall asleep....and wait for the arrival of Santa. Casey & Sheena arrived late as they had spent the evening in Wilder with Sheena's family....glad that they arrived safely thru the storm. They said that there were some cars off the road.

Those present for Christmas morning were Brent & Julie, Charisse, Casey & Sheena, C.Jay, and Kathleen.

Our morning started a bit later than in years past as the children are a bit older & Casey & Sheena didn't have to be up on the ski hill till the afternoon shift. When all the presents were open, we all agreed that this was a wonderful Christmas morning.....we missed our Utah kids but talked to them a bit later in the day. Santa had found them also....with our sweet Jaxon (7yrs old) said that he was up at 12:45am missing Santa by about 15 minutes.....a bit excited I would say....reminding me of his dad, Chad. We miss my parents and Brent's mother. Many Christmas' were spent with his parents. Holly lives in Provo, Utah much closer to the Utah children....my parents went to Chad & Lisa's for breakfast and to watch Jaxon, Brynna, and Jaci open a few of their presents. Thank U Chad & Lisa for including Grandma K & Grandpa.

Now, we will have a quiet turkey dinner when Brent and Kathleen return from a couple of hours of night skiing at Bogus. They will find Casey & Sheena somewhere working ski patrol.....Charisse, C.Jay, and I are warm inside.....just relaxing and feeling the sweetness of knowing that our Savior was born to save this world....I love my Savior Jesus Christ...I know He Lives....I know He loves me....

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS 2008