'twas 2 days after Christmas...

I've enjoyed the peace and "down time" the past couple of days have provided. We celebrated Christmas at home this year, but only after a fun-filled trip to Disneyland, CA with the Cundicks--Grams & Papa, aunts and uncles and cousins. We had a great time. We even figured that it was exactly 6 years after TEC and I had been there for our honeymoon (belated), so it was fun to be back.

We purchased 3-day "hopper" passes that got us into Disneyland as well as California Adventure (they were just finishing construction of the latter 6 years ago) T and I agreed that it was strange to approach a day at Disneyland with the idea that we would be back again the next day (and the next day, for that matter); neither of us had done that before. It seems, too, that after long, you lose some of the magic. But we did have a great time. TLC , usually the kid that clings to mom or dad around strangers, was found giving large Disney characters hugs and pointing out "Mee-Mo" (Mickey Mouse) everywhere we turned. SCC was a real trouper--taking naps throughout the day and being her sweet-natured self even after being taken in and out of the stroller and/or baby carrier. RVC loved seeing Cinderella's castle, recognizing various princesses and other characters, riding Dumbo, and though she was not a big fan of the movie when we watched it, she really liked the Alice in Wonderland rides. Small World was another favorite, with the characters singing "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" in addition to the regular song. A lot of the time TE's and my hands were full with TL and SC, so R enjoyed most of the Disneyland rides with aunts, uncles and grandparents. Though we would like to have seen her on some of the bigger rides, we were grateful for the extra hands. She was a lot braver than I would have expected, but we're told that she said after one of the rides, "I'm done with hills!" Our last night we managed to leave our kids asleep at the hotel with grandparents (this after TL got a little sick on the tea cup ride, but that's another story...) and go back to the park and enjoy some rides with TE's siblings. We were certainly worn out by the end of the three days, partly due to over stimulation and certainly due to colds.

On Thursday before we flew out, we took advantage of our close vicinity to the ocean and gave TL and SC their first visit to the beach (RV had already had her first--Atlantic Ocean, Outer Banks, NC--one place to which we would love to return). Even though their bodies were tired and worn out, the kids had a blast playing in the waves. TL had no fear and we had to run after him several times.

We made it back home late Thursday night. Friday evening we left the kids with a sitter and did some last minute Christmas shopping. Saturday, unfortunately, most of us woke up not feeling well. We had planned to drive up to the temple in Dallas with some friends, and TE had tickets to see the Utes in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. I felt horrible all day. TE started to perk up in the afternoon (maybe the drive to make it to the game was enough to pull him out of it) so he was able to see the Ute victory.

Christmas Eve Sunday we decided to keep TL home from church, so TE took RV to Sacrament meeting and then came home before the last hour to switch with me so I could make it to Primary to play the piano. By the evening we were doing much better. We were glad not to have to cancel our Christmas Eve plans with our good friends, the Wyatts, who were coming down from Dallas. They are moving to Michigan at the beginning of January, so it was most likely our last real visit with them. We've enjoyed living relatively close to them since law school and we've appreciated all the hospitality they have extended to us through all the Dallas trips we have made over the last couple of years between airport and children's hospital trips. For dinner, we did our best to serve up the Utah Cundick Christmas Eve menu of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. We then (finally!) let the kids dig into the gingerbread house while we enjoyed some coconut cream pie.

After saying goodbye to the Wyatts, we had one last reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and then it was off to bed (Santa was coming!) We were very hopeful that everyone would wake up healthy on Christmas morning, especially TL, who was sick last year as well (his first Christmas).

It's fun to have such young kids and be at the stage where we're setting family traditions, like Christmas morning. So far, we have been able to incorporate things from both TE's and my family, like walking in as a family to see the presents (youngest to oldest, as TE remembers it), taking turns to open gifts, enjoying caramel pull-aparts and orange julius for breakfast, etc. One breakfast tradition TE would like to continue, but has not been able to find in the places we have lived outside of Utah (despite valiant efforts), is Finnan haddie; I guess we'll be seeing that part of Christmas morning in future years.

Santa filled our stockings and left a few special gifts as well: some instruments and a music box for RV and a T-ball and baseball glove for TL. It was fun to spend the morning together in our pajamas, opening presents, talking to our families over the phone and hearing RV tell her grandparents about what Santa brought, etc. We even watched a really sweet movie that Uncle K sent us called The Christmas Visitor (or The Miracle Down Under...we're not sure which title is correct) about a struggling farming family in Australia.

I am up way too late writing this (I guess it's actually 3 days after Christmas now), but long stretches during the day just don't happen anymore for me. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up soon, especially of SCC, who turns 5 months tomorrow (today:0). She is one sweet little girl. But now, it's off to bed for me.