It was a bit time consuming, as is this calling most every day. Besides this, we have had a lot happening in our own home and lives, which has impacted our own Christmas. (Another post to come.) So, for the first time in our lives, I was not prepared for Christmas and did very little shopping before mid-December. My sister-in-law, said, "Welcome to how the rest of the world lives during the holidays." And truthfully, aside from the fact that I had no gifts under my trees until Mid-December, adding to the decor, I loved it! I loved shopping at the end when the kids were more certain of what they wanted and I was more certain of what they truly needed. I loved buying everything in two or three days and being able to keep mental track more clearly in my bruised and stitched brain! I did not love wrapping everything all at once. I normally do that from September on, as I purchase the gifts. BUT, it a wonderful Christmas experience for me! And Doug swears that I spent half what we usually do because I don't buy twice or continue to buy once I should have called it done!
I'm still not able to do a lot of chopping, kneading or stirring in the kitchen. I questioned KJ, my ortho doctor, about this. It's been a year, for Pete's Sake! He reminds me that I didn't just get a new shoulder with a nice clean cut bone. I had "an explosion" in my arm with multiple fractures when that humorus ball snapped off and my arm has lots of healing to do. "Another year, Sophia, and you'll be doing so fine!" Okey dokey then.
So, I did very little holiday baking or treat making. Zeej on the other hand, has become quite the little baker/chef/Martha Stewart! She's remarkable! She has made so many wonderful things for us as meals, as treats, as desserts. She amazes me. Her latest thing is scones. She makes fanciful scones from scratch and has made up her own recipes. My favorite is a cream cheese and apple scone. OH MY!
I digress! Christmas was wonderful! ZJ made most of the Christmas Eve dinner, including ham, pretzel salad, cheese balls, appetizers and a punch that was out of this world. ZJ and I get along very well. The only place that we disagree is in the kitchen when I tell her to use my recipe, that is tried and true, and she has found one of her own that she wants to attempt or when she wants to organize a cupboard her own way. I remind her that it's still my kitchen and she reminds me that she is the one using it currently. I digress again. Dinner was fantastic.
We watched the Nativity Story this year for our Eve activity and then opened our jammies. Only, this year, as always, I didn't put name tags on the gifts. I did numbers this year, only. The numbers were recorded in my planner. Zeej offered to find the jammie boxes, #3, 8 and 10. However, when Quayd opened his jammie box, what ZJ handed him (because she couldn't see on the wrapping paper) was gift #30, not #3. She didn't see the 0! And #30 happened to be Quayd's biggest gift, which is always the last thing opened on Christmas Day! It was his brand new iPhone!!! He has been without a phone since he returned from his mission. And he opened it! He lifted the lid on the box and his eyes got huge! He said, "WHAT!!!?!?!?!?!" He closed it quickly because he knew it was NOT the package that he was supposed to have opened! Doug, not thinking in the moment of panic said, "Who's is it?" because he knew that all of the kids were getting new phones. I started to cry. ZJ started to cry because she felt terrible that she'd handed Quayd the wrong package!
Everyone tried to say, "It's Ok, Mom." but I was sick that Christmas was ruined. Everyone now knew that they were all getting new phones or else why would Doug have asked "Who's is it?" After a while, a sad and silent while, I asked them to leave Dad and I alone together. I asked Doug if we could just tell them that it was his phone/gift. Doug said, "Babe, we aren't going to lie to them. We don't lie to our kids." I said, "It's Christmas! Christmas doesn't count!" Doug says, "Every lie counts. We don't lie." I was so sad. The kids came back up and we talked a bit, and started getting ready for bed while ZJ and Doug went to our neighbors to care for their dog (they were away for the holiday.)
While Doug was with Zee, I called Quayd and Grace into our bedroom and said, "I have to tell you a secret. Quayd, I am so sorry that you saw that phone and even more sorry that you thought it was yours. I got so silent because I didn't know what to do and had to come up with a plan. BUT, that phone is Dad's surprise! That's why he asked "Who's is it?" I've been trying to talk Doug into a new phone for a few years. He was still using an iPhone 4, so he needed one and the kids are always saying, "Dad! Get a new phone!" So, they totally bought my story. (I normally would never go against Doug's wishes, but I knew something that he didn't know. He was, indeed, getting a new iPhone for Christmas as well, so Quayd may or may not have opened his phone instead of jammies. The kids thought that this was great! They knew the big Christmas surprise/secret! When ZJ came back, I filled her in on things, too. So, everyone, including Doug, went to bed thinking they all knew something that no one else knew.
We woke up at 5:30 and started opening gifts at 6:15. It was an emotional morning, for some reason. ZJ has been on a soapbox for the past year that every painting of the Savior has a serious, stoic facial expression that is scary and formidable. She wants to see the Savior smiling a warm and inviting smile. I have spent the past year in search of the perfect print and found it! When she opened the painting of a "smiling Jesus", she started to cry! She also cried when she opened a large pallet of Naked brand Urban Decay EyeShadow. She also cried a few other times.
Urban Decay Eye Shadow Pallets matter when you are almost 17!
Zeej sees her print of the Savior smiling.
As we were down to our last two gifts, you could feel the kids excitement for their dad to open his new phone. They wanted him to go first. I debated back and forth because I wasn't sure who I wanted to figure out that everyone got a new phone first. Finally, Doug opened his phone and the kids beamed with pleasure! Doug was shocked! SHOCKED! And a little concerned. I could see that on his face... how did we afford this? BUT, he looks like that if it's a bag of peanuts too. That's just Doug's conservative nature.
Quayd was next and he was literally in tears. I've been teasing him that we were going to get him an old flip phone since he returned from his mission. He's not really wanted or needed one and he didn't care. but he was so thrilled to see that. Zee squealed and then screamed and then cried. Grace did not get a brand new iPhone because she is moving out soon and I didn't want to have to get a contract for her. So, I gave her my i-Phone 6 with a new case,since her own phone died about three weeks ago. She was just thrilled to have a phone.
New make-up brushes! About thirty of them!
Grace has been begging for her own copies of Ice Age, so we bought the whole collection.
Quayd saw his new phone and was in tears.
President Uchtdorf's new book. We love President Uchtdorf!
We'd debated for weeks about what to do for Christmas. Once you are 18, move away, get married, whatever, you are no longer a kid and we give cash for Christmas. That's been the rule. But, it would have been so strange to say, "Here's cash, Quayd and Grace. Now, sit and watch Zeej open presents for two hours." So Doug and I decided that we would surprise them with this one last Christmas. Next year, who knows where anyone will be? Zeej will still have two more "kid Christmases". Such a strange situation for Doug and I, as we got the babes the year that Liza was becoming a "grown-up", so we have had 39 years of "kid Christmases". I hate to see this part of our lives coming to an end. BUT, we sure make the best of it, regardless!
We spent the rest of the day in our jammies, having a french toast brunch and leftovers were put out for "grazing" the rest of the day. We watched Victoria and Abdul together, which we loved! Doug and the kids watched a few other movies while I read and listened to music and planned. It was a perfect Day! Grace left for a bit with Ben in the evening, as we insisted that this was our day as a family, possibly our last Christmas with all five of us alone together.
I love this family of ours! The kids were gracious and expressed gratitude with each and every gift. They were filled with fun comments and support for each other as they saw the others opening their gifts. They were thoughtful and generous with gifts to Doug and I. It was just a special and wonderful holiday.
I waited until Wednesday to take down the decor, but I was mooooore than ready! I don't know how it is that I can love it so much and absolutely can't stand the clutter the minute that we are done opening the gifts. Every year, I say, "Let's take it all down today" and every year, I get a resounding, "Nooooooooo!" As always, I love the fresh and clean feeling after taking it all down! Life is good!
I waited until Wednesday to take down the decor, but I was mooooore than ready! I don't know how it is that I can love it so much and absolutely can't stand the clutter the minute that we are done opening the gifts. Every year, I say, "Let's take it all down today" and every year, I get a resounding, "Nooooooooo!" As always, I love the fresh and clean feeling after taking it all down! Life is good!
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