Christmas 2008

We had a wonderful Christmas season this year. Like a lot of families, we've seemed to bounce from one activity and holiday gathering to the next, but we have enjoyed all the joy that Christmas brings: the Christmas cards from dear friends and family that line our entryway, the smell of holiday baking, decorating the tree putting up stockings (7 this year including the dog, phew!), listening to Christmas music all the time, pulling out the Christmas piano music, reading Christmas stories at bedtime...

Last year I wrote about many of our family's Christmas traditions...we welcomed these traditions again this year.

We had a Bushman sisters Christmas party (parents were invited,
but had other plans) before Christmas this year because Tracey was to be in Georgia over Christmas. We enjoyed fancy fondue and "mixed drinks" through curly straws. I'm pretty sure we skipped dinner that night in favor of marshmallows, grahams, pretzels, and chocolate! Okay, we dipped some fruit as well. It was nice to enjoy some sisterly time. The kids had fun (as always) with their cousins and, thanks to the BYU game, TEC and Ben managed to keep a healthy distance from us girls most of the night.









On the Sunday before Christmas, we went to the Clark family "sing-in." Last year I did more "chasing the 18-month-old around the gym" than singing; this year I was pleased to instead watch that same child dance in front of the group and even sit and sing some herself. Funny how we pass through stages... Santa dropped off a bag of early presents that night. Our "big" kids each received a new Pirates baseball cap. CAC received an almost-too-small Santa hat. I also managed to get a picture of the kids all dressed up that night...that may be the biggest accomplishment of the season? year?


Christmas Eve at Gramie and Bobas was special this year. Holly's family was in town for Christmas, which almost doubled the number of kids present that night. The kids dressed up for a reading of the Nativity story...SCC as a rather contemporary Mary (Joseph held the baby Jesus for most of the night), TLC as one of two wisemen, and RVC as an angel. The rest of us joined in for the singing of hymns and the sharing of talents.


Later, the kids talked to Santa on a cell phone (he was quite busy, as you can imagine, but was nice enough to make time). He dropped off a few more early presents--new pajamas for our kids. We soon hurried back home to get some goodies ready for Santa and his reindeer and then get to bed.

TLC and RVC were the first ones up on Christmas morning. They came into our room to tell us that CAC was awake. We all went into CAC's room to wait for SCC to wake up. Santa likes to leave books for the kids outside their door, so we spent some time reading those while I fed the baby and until we heard SCC's little feet coming up the stairs. Then we said a family prayer and followed SCC into the front room to see just what magic had come to pass the night before.



We saved gift opening for later, because Uncle Steve was to be calling by phone from his mission in Uruguay at 10 AM. We caught the latter half of the call--so good to hear from him and a special reminder, for us, of what is really important on Christmas (every day, really). We stayed to open a few gifts with TEC's family before heading back home for...opening a few more gifts. What fun.

A good portion of our gifts came from RVC this year. She especially excited about gift-giving and after I taught her how to wrap (folding the ends to a point and taping closed), she went to town wrapping up crafts and ornaments for the whole family.

Finally, by late afternoon, we made it up to my parents' house to enjoy some yummy food, visit, and share more gifts. Val and her family got there about the same time. We stayed through the evening and left just as the rain was turning into what would be a pretty big storm (Val's family tried to leave a bit later, but ended up staying at my parents' for the night).


We worried about what the storm would mean for our drive up to the cabin the next morning, but we ended up making it up just fine and had a great time--one of our longest trips ever. On Monday our whole family made it out for great day of sledding. I thought CAC would only last for a couple of runs down, but she was a trouper. RVC learned to steer her own sled and was riding solo by the end. SCC, trying to be big like her sister, insisted on riding "all by myself" as well and a few tantrums were thrown as we continued to make her ride with us (those sleds are amazing...a couple of times we made it down the hill with TEC, myself, CAC and either TLC or SCC on one sled). Finally, we let SCC sit alone on a sled as it was towed up the hill. She was just beaming and boasted the rest of the day: "I did it all by myself!" I sat behind Papa on the snowmobile on one trip back up the hill and wished I had a camera to capture my family and niece piled on their bellies on two of the sleds and little SCC on her own sled, smiling ear to ear, and of course, the two beagles running close behind. That would have made a great picture.
CAC loved playing at the cabin.

We're back home now...last day of the year. A year's worth of laundry (it seems) sits in piles down in my basement and lots of Christmas joy (mess) remains to be cleaned.