Lindsey Unedited: December 2013

On Saturday we celebrated Christmas with Grandpa Roger and Grandma Candice and Grandpa Roger's 62nd birthday. I realized it has been exactly one year since I had last been to my dad's house. Crazy since he only lives 45 minutes away. We see each other throughout the year at family events and he's been up to our place - but I think because he and his wife have her kids living with them it's a little crowded in their house.

When we arrived the kids took their sleds to the hill behind Grandpa Roger's house and went sledding for the first time this winter. I wasn't watching but apparently they each face planted into the ice and they roughed up their faces. Poor kids! I was in the car adding the final touches to my brother Preston's memory book I made him. Preston is my younger half brother and my Dad told me that he doesn't have any pictures or video of his childhood. He had a sad childhood. So, I went to work and went through all my old cassette tapes, VHS tapes, photo albums and diaries and found audio of him as a baby, footage of him as a little kid, pictures that I copied, and lot's of journal entries where I wrote wonderful memories of him. I copied everything and put it all together in a nice album with a DVD I burned. I was bummed when I found out he wasn't there.

Grandpa Roger got a smoker for Christmas and so he he smoked these delicious ribs. Best BBQ I've had in a long time. I made cornbread muffins and whipped honey butter. Cherise made delicious baked beans and there was yummy coleslaw, baked potatoes and chips dip. It was such a surprise to see my Grandma Cavner! My kids know her as "blind grandma". She's been blind for the past 10 years or so and she lives in Manti. We don't get to see her often but when we do we are so happy because she's such a sweet person. Apparently she hitched a ride with three different relatives to make it to my Dad's house - so she had been traveling all day.

After dinner we opened gifts. The kids all got pajamas and a toy. My girls got cute fleece blankets. My grandma gave us her tradition of $2 bills to every person in a Christmas envelope. She is so kind. I gave my Dad and Candice a fun card game called, It Came to Pass and a movie. For his birthday present I gave my dad, the new paperback copy of our book, The Realm. He was so excited. I also gave him a gift certificate to Texas Roadhouse. My brother gave him the same present so we joked he could buy him and his wife a really nice meal. The same thing happened last year when my sister and I both gave him gift certificates to Outback Steakhouse. We all think alike!

Grandpa Roger's smoked ribs!

Little cousin Crew

Grandpa Roger turns 62!

Cute butterfly PJs

Soccer PJs

The cousins surprising Grandpa with a clean playroom

Cousin Caleb honking Grandpa's nose

All the cousins

Great Grandma Cavner and my kids

Grandma Candice

All the siblings with Dad

Cute Christmas treats from Aunt Daniela in Germany

Thinking about how she doesn't like these on her fingernails.

Rocking the glam!

Sledding behind Grandpa's house

Injuries from her sled crash - poor baby!

It came and went so fast! Yes, Christmas is over but we'll never forget the memories.

On Christmas Eve, the house was so clean for Santa, that we didn't want to cook and make any messes. So, for the first time ever we went out for dinner on Christmas Eve. Besides we had our nice fancy dinner just a few days before. Hardly any places were open so we ended up at Burger King. The kids were super excited and had a blast there!

After dinner, we went to go see the Christmas lights at Layton park. Everyone was there and so there was quite the line of traffic. The kids got out of their seat belts and pressed their faces against the windows as we slowly drove through the beautiful light display serenaded by Christmas music on the radio. They were so good.

Then we came back home and let the kids each pick one gift under the tree to open. I was so excited to see Gabe open the gift from me and Manuel. I had taken one of his stories that he wanted me to illustrate and publish and I secretly completed the entire book and printed it. You can see his reaction in the video below. I think it was the best gift ever! He was so surprised that he was holding his story in a finished, printed hard cover book. He takes it everywhere we go now and shows everyone.

That night we set up the Christmas store downstairs. This is another German tradition that my husband grew up with. We set out the store and Oma and Santa fills it up with miniature treats. Little fruits and veggies made out of marzipan and tiny chocolate bars. Drawers and bins filled with candy and tiny little metal scoopers. Little juices, packs of gum, cans and boxed goods. They take their little shopping carts and baskets and go shopping. Someone works at the register and takes the money. In Germany all the visitors stop by and purchase treats from the children's stores. We don't ever have visitors during Christmas so our kids just have a hay day and gobble it up themselves. They use play money.

On Christmas morning they woke up before sunrise. They were instructed to wait in their rooms until a parent came and got them. They were then blind folded and herded into one room where they waited for the signal to come out. I filmed everything below. After all the fun of openings gifts and seeing the store, we had a pancake breakfast. Then we skyped with Manuel's family for the first time in a long time because they could never figure out how to make it work. We then played all day long with their toys. It was the first Christmas where we didn't have to leave the house. We like it that way!

I've really been enjoying hanging around the house all day, eating and playing with toys for the past few days. It's nice to have Manuel home and the family together all day just enjoying quality time. The kids have really had a wonderful time and have hardly found the time or desire to be naughty. They are so happy!

DAILY QUESTION: What's the most memorable gift you ever received for Christmas?

Christmas Eve at Burger King - a first!

The girls looking out the car window at the Christmas lights in the park as we drove through them.

Gabe stayed in his seat.

Paisley invites her little sister to sit on her lap so she can see the lights better.

Gabe opening his gift from Mom and Dad on Christmas Eve.

He loves his book so much that he sleeps with it each night in his arms. He takes it everywhere we go.

Manuel

Gabe gave us Christmas cards and gum

The girls opened their present from Mommy and Daddy on Christmas Eve. They got red dresses!

They love their dresses!

The kids climbed into our bed and watched The Grinch after opening gifts.

They were so good.

We bought this Christmas spiced juice at IKEA and had it on Christmas Eve with banana nut bread.

In Germany they call this drink Christmas wine even though it's not wine - just spiced fruit juice. We were so happy to find it at IKEA because it was a tradition for Manuel growing up. You serve it warm.