Christmas 2022
We traveled to Utah to spend the week before Christmas with our family. The trip up wasn’t too bad, but road trips with toddlers are no joke! Harper just slept though the whole thing and Grace was entertained with the movies and coloring books we brought, but Madelyn really struggled. It was so hard to hear her crying for us to hold her when we still had hours to go before reaching our destination. On our way up to Utah, we actually broke up the trip into two day and spent the night in St. George.
We were able to visit a lot of family while we were there. Utah is home away from home. It was so nice to have all the aunts, uncles, and cousins meet Harper.
On Christmas Eve during the day we went to Jeremy and Stacey’s house. The kids played in the snow with Clara and Truman. Honestly, it turned out to be one of my favorite moments of the entire trip. Since we don’t live in a place that gets snow, the whole experience felt magical for Grace and Maddy. Grace and Clara had a snowball fight, and then I dragged the kids around the yard on a sled. They were so polite as they took turns and laughed together. Back at Grandma’s house, then made snow angels and tromped through the snow.
That night, bed time was rough like it always is. I put Madelyn to bed and told her “Now, stay in your bed so Santa can come and leave you presents.” I left. Surprisingly, she did stay in her bed. About 20 minutes later, I went back upstairs to check on the kids. As I walked in the hallway, Maddy suddenly came rushing out of her bedroom. She took a look at me and sighed, “I heard something and I thought it was Santa.” So cute! It reminded me of the year my brother Ben and I lay in the alcove bed at our Namma and Granddaddy’s cabin in Big Bear. To this day, we both swear we hear a huge thump on the roof that could only have been made by Santa’s sleigh. There is something special about listening for Santa.
The next morning we woke up to stuffed stockings from Santa. We went to church on Christmas day, and I was so touched by the music that spoke of Christ’s birth. (Fun fact that I learned this year: Did you know that “Joy to the World” was actually written as a song to celebrate the 2nd coming of Christ? I find that meaning even more powerful as I look forward to His triumphant return to this world.)
That afternoon, everyone came to Grandma Debbie’s house for Christmas dinner and gifts. The sister-in-laws played a prank on all the guys. Over a month ago, we had decided to buy and gift the same shirt to our husbands. We would insist they wear it for Christmas, and then we would watch their reactions as one by one they realized they were all wearing the same plaid shirt. We were able to meet our newest niece, Eliza. She is only a week younger than Harper (Fun Fact: Stacey and I actually had the exact same due date, October 1. Neither baby decided to wait that long.)
The next day was a bust. We had planned on meeting up with family and exploring downtown Salt Lake, but Grace got sick with a fever and ear ache. I hate seeing my kids sick. We hung out at Debbie’s house and prayed Grace would start feeling better for our road trip home the next day. (Can you imagine how terrible a 10+hour car ride would be with a sick kid?!) Miraculously, Grace felt all better the next day as we started our trip. I was so grateful for answered prayers as we traveled back home to California. It was a great trip, filled with memories I will cherish forever.
