Christmas 2013

I'm not gonna lie… Christmas didn't really make much of an appearance at our house this year. About a week and a half before Christmas, I started trying to take care of the boys and the baby again after my hysterectomy. I felt pretty good, but must have really overdone it. I woke up one morning, and could hardly move. I was in so much pain that I felt like I had been taken back to day one after surgery. I was devastated! I had done absolutely no lifting for 3 weeks, and then 3 days of carrying Hyrum had undone all of my progress. I called my dad and mom in tears and desperation. Jonathon had already missed so much work, Jonathon's mom had previous commitments, and we didn't know what to do. 

My mom dropped everything, got a sub for her Kindergarten classes for the next week, and came down that very night. I was a pitiful sight, I am sure. For the next week, I laid in my reclining chair, unable to move, while mom took care of the kids, made the meals, and cleaned the house. I was so thankful for her help. As the days drug on without feeling any better, I got really depressed. When Mom left, Crista came up for a few days to rescue us. Finally, after a week, I started to feel a little bit better physically and mentally.

At that point, we tried to squeeze a few little Christmas things in for the boys, but it was a feeble attempt. We did our yearly tradition of making gingerbread houses. We have used store-bought ones in the past, but I am always so unhappy with them. This year we used graham crackers and homemade icing. It was much more successful and tasted so much better. Christian and I made a Hogwarts castle and then Andrew and I made the Hogwarts Express. The boys were both so happy with their creations. They only lasted a couple of days until they begged to eat them, and I finally obliged.

Luckily, Christmas turned out wonderful because we spent it with Jonathon's family. I didn't have to feel too bad about not putting up decorations or a tree because Jonathon's parents' house was decorated beautifully with everything that little boys could expect from Christmas. We hauled my small recliner down to their house and set it up so that I could be around the family and still be comfortable. Everyone thought it was pretty funny that I traveled with my recliner, but it was really the perfect option. And thankfully, I started feeling a lot better as the week progressed. Mom and Dad H. went all out to make it a magical Christmas vacation for all of us.

On Christmas Eve, we had the opportunity to go to the BYU Art Museum to see an exhibit called Sacred Gifts. It featured paintings of the Savior by Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz. Carl Bloch has always been one of my favorite painters, but I was also so impressed with all of the works that were featured. It truly was a sacred experience and a really wonderful way to feel the true spirit of Christmas.

Later that night, there was an impromptu talent show, a live nativity, and a birthday celebration for Crista. The boys wanted to be shepherds, so we raided Grandpa and Grandma's closet for a costume. BJ, Tera, and baby Caleb represented Joseph, Mary, and Jesus while Dad read Luke 2. It was simple, but beautiful.

The shepherds going to see baby Jesus

Crista's birthday pumpkin cheesecakes

Then on Christmas morning, there was much happiness! Andrew got a Harry Potter Board game, and Christian got an upgrade to his Snap Circuits kit (among other things) that they were pretty excited about. But the best present was yet to come…

Every year, Dad H. creates a treasure hunt with clues to find the "Santa" gifts. It is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. As all of the kids have become adults, the riddles/clues get harder and harder. Dad was busy working on other presents, so he asked for some help with the clues. Each of the siblings got to come up with a clue for the big kids and a clue for the grandkids. They were all quite impressive, and I thought it was so much fun.  Mom and Dad H. gave all of us movie passes and dinner at a cute little cafe. It was seriously one of the best gifts because Jonathon and I desperately needed a night out minus children. The last clue for the kid's treasure hunt directed them to go to Platform 9 3/4. Luckily, they had seen the new paint on the wall and new where to go. Once they got there though, they weren't quite sure what to do.

Platform 9 3/4… but how to get in?

Grandpa asked Christian how you got onto the platform. Confused, Christian said, "You just walk through the wall." Grandpa nodded and said, "Why don't you try right here (pointing to what appeared to be a random spot in the wall)." Christian was completely surprised, but after a few more nods from Grandpa, he started to run at the wall. When that didn't work, he started kicking the wall (with permission from Gpa and Gma). Finally, he broke through. When he saw the hole, he was pretty scared that he was going to be in trouble, but everyone was laughing and cheering, so he got over it quickly, and his curiosity took over again. 

Peering through the hole

Finally, after many failed attempts at making the hole bigger, Cameron taught Christian how to break through the rest of it. Cameron had made a hole in the wall when he was young by throwing a tantrum, so he knew that if you sat on your bottom and kicked, the wall would break. Christian tried it, and sure enough, down came the wall. Dad H. had precut a section of the wall and hidden the grandkids presents under the stairs. They climbed through and found their presents. Each of the grandkids got a head lamp and a flashlight so they could help Grandpa build a fort under the stairs. From what I have heard from the plans, it is going to be a pretty awesome little play space when it is finished.

Breaking Through

Christian spent time helping Grandpa with the fort for the next few days, and the boys sure loved their new gear. It will definitely go down in history as one of the coolest Christmas adventures ever. Seriously, what grandparents allow you to break down a wall (decorated as part of your favorite book) to find your Christmas presents? They are lucky boys!

Dinner with the Sibs

For the rest of the day, we hung out with the family, played games (Wits and Wagers and Settlers of Catan), and got to talk to Aaron and Tiffany on missions. Tiff either made a miscalculation in the time change or had no other choice, because she called at 3 AM from Taiwan. It was pretty funny, but ended up being enjoyable for Mom and Dad and the kids to talk to her. On Monday, we went with all of the siblings to dinner and a movie. We went to a cafe called Shirley's. It was fun to be there with everyone. After dinner, we went to a movie courtesy of Mom and Dad H. We saw Catching Fire, and I loved it. I liked it even better than the first one because I felt like it had a deeper plot line and better cinematography. When we got home from the movie, Mom and Dad H. had all of the kids in bed (asleep, even!) and the babies happy and ready for bed. It was such a lovely gift. It was a very memorable Christmas. We are so blessed.