CHRISTMAS!!

I've always thought springtime was a perfect time for babies, but Christmas has been SO cozy w/ a little one, and a great excuse to not do ANYTHING but keep things simple and at-home.  I necessarily got all shopping (online) and wrapping done a month ago, w/ everything stowed under our bed in the boxes they were shipped in.  I gave myself permission to do NO Christmas baking, and Brian ended up baking some of his Swiss cookies instead :).  I also made no plans for holiday outings, and felt NO compulsion to find concerts, plays, outings for the family (though even WITH that, Brian and I saw "White Christmas," and attended the work dinner, while I was also able to see LOTS of recitals/concerts of the children, AND make the ward Breakfast AND RS Dinner w/ Mom here and Jane not :) ). Jane and I even  ventured out to Sacrament Mtg last week to hear Brian's Choir Christmas program, that went beautifully! Still, I have never had so many pajama days in a row like this, AND avoided cabin fever, and I am grateful to feel completely satisfied taking our sweet time venturing back into real life with this new baby.

I was prepared to have a frozen lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner, but Jane was sleeping 8(!!!!!!!) hour nights for a few days, and cooking seemed appealing having lost so much of my load, so we had a great feast of ham/potatoes, roasted green beans, pomegranate salad (read:  pomegranates covered in whipped cream and pecans w/ some grapes and bananas thrown in), spinach salad, and fresh rolls (previously frozen)--and Uncle Brent's famous Mint Oreo dessert (as found in Priday cookbook--the kids could barely believe there was actually a recipe for Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream put into an oreo pie shell :) ).  We lit the candles, read and sang and played out the Nativity with our own infant, opened up pajamas (girls all in polkadots!), and after securing the children in the basement, got to bed fairly early! Not even Jane woke up before 7!! and we started opening gifts just before 8, using breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, stocking stuffers, and leftovers to feed us through the slow, happy day.  Had to get a shot of Brent's much-desired "Morph Suit" teenage boys are awesome!?!), Spencer's r/c Helicopter (that I read was for "Ages 14 & up" much too late, but was fabulously not out of Spencer's ability :))--and Emily, Spencer, and Anne all got new pairs of roller blades, which even icy roads could not stop them trying.  We had a wonderfully sunny day, so I was glad to have a reason to step out for a few minutes and watch them.  Mostly though, I just sat w/ cuteness in my lap, perfectly content!

 

To remember Dad's birthday, all the Mildenhall's in GA were going on a hike and out for gelato (2 of his favorites), and, anxious to tie ourselves to everyone somehow (the portals of life seem closer w/ death and new babies!), I found a Farmington Bay Wildlife Refuge with year-round wonderful walking trails (according to website), easy for all ages, AND the only gelato in the county seems to be at a Harmon's grocery store--also in Farmington, so we loaded up and drove there Saturday.  The Refuge was gated off, but that just allowed us to walk along the road entrance, which was all of the hike we got since the trails required snowgear.  Ah well--a quarter mile is better than nothing (right?) and some of the kids had fun skating on the iced over ponds, at least.  By then, gelato seemed a bit like cold torture, but we fought through it, and were happy to find a lot of great flavors.  I don't think I warmed up the rest of the day, and to be honest, it only made me miss Dad a lot more, so I let Mom know we should try something more like Hawaii for next year (Dad was never much for traditions, anyway :) )--at least it wasn't snowing!!

 

It has been a wonderful conclusion to a somewhat weighty year to focus on Christ, and cling to the hope he promises.  I find myself thinking of the coming Spring, as we're surrounded w/ cold and snow, and remembering how constant the seasons are and that things WILL get warmer, and gradually easier, and more beautiful, and that we CAN always have hope thanks to our Savior and His love for us.  I love this time of year that we have to bask in that love, and I love, love, love that we have family to share it all with!