Christmas 2015

I keep trying to figure out what to write about Christmas this year. When I think about the last couple weeks I just get a real speedy reel of memories flashing through my mind and none stay long enough for me to get a hold on them individually, but they combine to make a really happy and content climate in my soul.  The kind of happy that reaches so deep I get all shaky and excited that this is really my life!  I am so grateful.
My dad always said that if you don't write it down, it never happened, so I am going to do my best to write down the moments as they come to my mind, so bear with me!
Decorating the house and the kids mad frenzy trying to help
Kids singing Christmas songs in the back of the van.
Caity making Christmas cards
Kids waking up to look for Sammy (our elf)
Watching Christmas movies and doing puzzles
Family Home Evenings about Christ's birth
Special time every night and how excited the kids were to open another chocolate box
Meeting Santa
The kids play-acting the nativity
Going to the Idaho Falls visitors center and watching movies about Christ's birth
Making treats and taking them to friends
Block towers in front of the Christmas tree
Finding the tree in the woods and the kids marching through the snow.
Waiting in line forever in the cold to see Santa
Making hot chocolate and the kids saving their candycanes so they could melt them in their cocoa
Getting Pizza and watching Santa Clause 2
Our ward Christmas party- the kids were so excited to be a part of the children's nativity.
Visiting our good friend, Melvin in Newdale.
Making Christmas Eve dinner with "helpers" (everyone needs a turn stirring the pot. except William. he needs two apparently.)
Caity coming home with Christmas crafts from school
Reading Christmas stories
Watching Elmo Saves Christmas waaaay to many times.
Watching Home Alone 1 and Home Alone 2 enough times to have most of the movie memorized.
Johnny telling way to many people "Merry Christmas you filthy animal." (Then saying sorry and that he was kidding)
Johnny finding elmo slippers at DI for William for Christmas.
My brother Matt getting Santa letters from my kids then playing "secret santa" and getting them things on their lists.
Matt then going all the way to the North Pole to deliver the letters and get replies for the kids- their faces were priceless.
Riding the horse drawn carriage.
Going to the Festival of Lights in Idaho Falls.
Visiting my parents and going to Temple Square and William's face when he saw the Cristus statue.
John taking the kids to the merry-go-round at Porter Park
The Ogden family Christmas party and kids' faces when Santa showed up.
Caity's face with she saw Kirsten (my old American Girl doll) by the Christmas tree Christmas morning.
Johnny riding his bike down the hall
William's face when he realized how many cars he got from Uncle Matt.
Driving to John's parents for Christmas Dinner and Spencer's birthday,
Kids waking up at four in the morning on Christmas because, hello- it's Christmas.
THE SNOW, it was so magical.
Realizing the John wasn't going to watch It's a Wonderful Life with me, but the kids all said they would- and they did!
Making snowflakes all together.
Loving on those sweet nieces and nephews and seeing my kids spend time with them.
Caity memorizing the scripture story in Luke 2.

OK, I'm not offended that you probably just skimmed that list- but that's what I mean- how do I even summarize all that- not to mention all the wonderful ordinary moments in between...there is no way other than to say- I am so grateful. What a wonderful time of year and really, what a wonderful life it is year round.
This year had some hard moments, yet through Christ the moments have led to growth in faith and a deeper understanding of what is most important.  He makes our burdens light, our weaknesses strong, and turns pain into joy. I don't know how it works- but I know it does. A Savior was born and he lived for us, died for us, and lived again that we may find joy and peace. I know He lives. I know Christ is my Savior.

Now what pictures I can accumulate from this last December (excuse the mis-order):

John took the kids to Porter Park to ride the carousel and meet Santa

John played his brothers for "The Hat" this must have been a picture he took right before John's dad beat him! :)

Winter walks with good friends

William at the Salt Lake City Visitors Center

Brittany making sugar cookies with the kids- note William's lack of a shirt.

Waiting in line with Shaylee and Kevin for Cabelas. It was coooold.

Caity at the carousel

Kids at carousel

John using the axe he got for Graduation to cut down our tree

My baking helper

Meanwhile, in Cate's room....

Excited to find a tree

Staying behind waiting for the big kids adn dad to get back with the tree

Caity on the horse carriage

Waiting in line for Santa

SO worth the wait- haha, William was not having it! But the rest of the kids were excited!

Real camels for the live nativity!

Now...Some creeper pictures of my kids sleeping, because- oh because I just love sleeping children!

Stockings hung with care

Home Alone, please!

William's obsession with Selfies

And a couple more of William Bradley in his Christmas Sunday outfit:

And some of Johnny Calhoun V:

And some pictures of my darling Cate Elizabeth:

And my sweet baby, Matthew Hinckley

puzzle time!

Watching the LDS Christmas Devotional.

Johnny pretending to be Santa. As William would say, "Ho, ho, ho, Merry Mitmas!"

Playing "North Pole"

Their reactions when I said, "You excited for church!?" William hates nursery.

snow!

Johnny and Me on our way home from taking Caity to school.

My parents and Matthew

Noah, Caity, Miles, Johnny and William all tied together like reindeer.

Aunt Becky with the kids

At Temple Square.

Real Reindeer at Thanksgiving Pointe.

Johnny talking nonstop to Santa.

Caity asking William if he is excited.

Johnny

Matthew

Caity

Willliam...still not loving the Santa idea

And you thought your elf was creepy.

Santa waffles!

Christmas Eve before Santa came.

Christmas Morning

Matthew and Grandpa

All the July babies together for the first time!

And finally, that's a wrap...here's to a new year!

The Christmas that Keeps Giving

On our way home from visiting family, I told John I was so excited to get home, take down Christmas, and deep clean.  However, this morning as I walked in the living room to make a Christmas decor demolition plan: I looked at our tree with William's lollipop ornament (covered with teeth marks) and the other memorabilia of our life the last eight years and beyond. I got a warm-all-over feeling that calmed my over-zealous determination and just made me feel a calm content. That tree made me happy. And clearly, it made the kids happy. And when I told John I was postponing its removal, he was happy too.  I know, this isn't that big of a deal, but I mostly wanted to remember how good it felt to live in this moment. Today was spent playing with Christmas gifts that were left behind while we vacationed. I blasted Christmas music while I cooked ham and corn chowder from left overs, and I just about died as I heard Johnny singing "mele kalikimaka" under his breath while he colored at the kitchen table. The kids watched Santa Claus 2 while they dug through their stocking treats. My lunch was accompanied by peppermint hot cocoa and while the kids napped I watched While You Were Sleeping instead of cleaning the house and unpacking bags. I can only watch that movie this time of year- weird, I know. Christmas was five days ago, but it still felt very much present today at our house, and I liked it.  I like where I am at right now.  With such limited space it will be nice to take down the Christmas decor eventually, but I'm glad I'm letting the love and joy I feel this time year linger a couple more days, because as depressing as it is- this Christmas will never happen again. That said, I want to make sure I cherish William lining up his newly multiplied car collection, or Caity setting up her American Girl dolls to play Frozen Chutes and Ladders, or Johnny color code his 96 crayons with help from his transformer and Leonardo Ninja Turtle piggy bank. I want to kiss those sweet baby cheeks and read a few more Christmas stories before they are packed away. And perhaps kiss that husband of mine under the mistle toe, or at least make peppermint shakes together!
Merry (Late) Christmas.

This boy was particularly happy today!

Santa always brings gummy life savers for our stockings.

We got a package of sunshine from the McFarlenes (our old neighbors) it was the cutes package later and we had a blast opening it today!

(William's face.)

NeeNee making sugar cookies with the kids on Sunday

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

This year, we went a huntin' for a Christmas tree in the Palasades. The pickings were scarce, but after many hikes through shin deep snow, a few thrown snowballs, and one lengthy crisis of getting stuck: we found our perfect tree. 

Oh! We were so excited!

John got the axe from Marc, his supervising attorney at the US Attorney's office in Boise as a graduation gift, it was so fun to be able to use it!

Matthew stayed happy in the car.

William....not so happy, but he also was upset in the cold- so there was no winning! haha. 

The kids had a blast trimming the tree

We could only use our very favorites because our tree just didn't have the strength to handle all the Christmas spirit we have gathered over the years. 

Then we watched some good, old fashioned, Home Alone.

At least it photographed well! Ha!

Here is the ornament we chose out for this year in commemoration of all our fun memories cutting down trees and strapping them to our cars through the years.  They are some of my favorite memories and we can't help but laugh when John and I talk about them

Merry Christmas!!

When Caity Played Mary

Again, another lousy picture brought to you by me. Caity was Mary in our church Nativity pageant. She was thrilled. She had her part memorized within about five minutes of receiving the script. She made sure to remind me every day for two weeks that we needed to have a costume ready. She told everyone at church that although most of the primary children were angels, she was going to be Mary, the most important girl of Christmas. She had her brothers re-enact the nativity at home (Matthew was Jesus, Johnny was Joseph and William was the angel/shepherd/dinosaur.) She was excited, to say the least.

Caity walked with an air of elegance from the time we picked her up from school until the time we left for our church party. 

She told Johnny he could be angel Gabriel to make him feel like he was important too. 

As they all filed onto the stage and a beaming Johnny smiled and waved while Caity stood serene and contemplative, smiling up at Joseph while he gave his lines...I couldn't help but get emotional... Because that's what I do now a days. 

I just love those kids. I love Christmas. I love that God sent Christ to redeem us, and all over the world there are similar pageants happening. 

We didn't make a big deal of Caity's role as Mary, because heaven knows her head wouldn't have fit through our front door and we would've been late. :)

But...later that night when the boys were asleep, I sat on Caity's floor and we read scriptures about Mary together and I was able to bear my testimony of Mary's role in Christ's birth and what a magnificent and wonderful woman she was and how Mary was one of my heroes and I hope Caity can have Mary's same faith throughout her own life.  

It was a special moment for me and one of my favorite experiences as a mother to date. 

I am so grateful to have that daughter of mine.

The only way to keep William quiet during the little performance was to take selfies together, haha- he must be a Partridge! :)

He also kept busy giving thumbs up to his new-found friend.

Johnny and Matthew...yes, Matthew is wearing camo santa jammies- that is just how we roll sometimes.

Johnny's talk in Primary

You have to zoom in, but that is Johnny sitting in the front of the Primary room, about to give a talk.  He sat up there, smug as can be in complete confidence.  When the primary president announced that after the song, Johnny would give his talk, he pumped his arms in the air with his hands in fists and mouth "Oh yeah!" and then nodded out of excitement.  When he got up to give his talk, he wiped his forehead and started to blow "nervous air" from his cheeks.  He gave an excellent talk about how he is named after four "John's" and how he wants to be a missionary of Jesus. Then he couldn't figure out how to close so he just kept blowing air from his cheeks until we were able to get him to say "Amen." Then he leaped from the podium and walked with a confident kick in step back to his seat. He turned around and looked at us and gave us a thumbs up and nodded his head in a way that said, "I'm the man!" 

I love that kid.

It Started with a Stable

The other day I was walking through a twilight Rexburg reflecting on the night of Christ's birth.  I thought about how before there was Mary, and before there was Joseph, and before there were shepards listening to Angels singing, and even before the animals residing within it: there was a stable.  

Whoever constructed that stable, built it with the intention of housing animals, feed, and supplies.If only he knew he was constructing a sancuary for a King. I think about the carpenter that fabricated the manger, imagine if he had known that Christ would one day rest therein. 

Have you ever been around farm animals? They smell. There are flies. There is filth.  I think about Mary as she entered the stable and took inventory of what was in front of her.  

I think many times I glorify the stable as something quaint and lovely, because how could a place that housed our Savior be anything less? Chances are it wasn't initially quaint, or lovely, or charming- but it was likely dirty and musky. There wasn't running water, and I don't imagine the stable was cleaned often. There was likely manure with accompanying flies. The manger was maybe dirty and rough.  

I don't know what Mary felt. I do know the feeling as I have entered certain apartments for the first time- they were run down, grimy, perhaps unsafe, and yet they were the only choice we had. I know the feeling of taking a deep breath and trying to count blessings before the disappoint takes over. I also know the feeling of expecting my first baby. I imagine every little detail of how special and wonderful it would be. I remember the responsibility I felt to make that spirit's transition into mortality sacred and peaceful. 

I picture Mary felt that same duty, but likely with a much larger burden as the woman responsible for caring for the Savior of the world.

The faith Mary and Joseph must have felt as they prepared that stable for Jesus' birth was nothing short of remarkable. I picture Joseph, the carpenter, sanding down the manger so it was smooth and fresh. I picture Mary laying blankets to make the stable more intimate.

It is interesting that a stable, a stable among hundreds of stables in Bethelehem, became such a special location in the history of the world. It makes me realize how through God, we can make the most mundane and average things, such as a stable, glorious.  

I pray that in my sloping floor, cinderblock apartment I can create something beautiful and uplifting. That, just as we associate a stable as a sacred shelter for our King, my children will someday view this old apartment as a sacred time of learning and bonding as a family.  I pray they remember our family prayers, our family home evenings, our long talks, our adventures and our love for eachother and the Lord.  I hope the life we lead will transform an ordinary apartment into a triumphant and sacred time in their life. I pray that when they think of heaven they think of the feeling they had while we lived in this home. And in every home we share hereafter.

I pray that when people enter our home, they feel something similar to what the shepherds felt that night because as they recognized Christ in the manger, others can recognize the presence of the Savior in our home.

This is the a nativity John and I bought our first Christmas together. 

I love it.

 Ironic it doesn't even have a stable when that was what I wrote about today. I actually like the accidental symbolism of this display. Christ birth was glourious and magnificent and wonderful because it was the fulfilled promise of a Savior to redeem us. We cherish the baby because the man he chose to become in our behalf.

I like to think that instead of a stable we have the shelter of Christ in our lives to protect us from the wind and elements of a fallen world. We must choose to live in Him.

It's remarkable what God was able to make of am ordinary stable, what will I allow him to make of my life?

Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving this year turned out to be a great one!

The days leading up to the holiday, John and I were both sick with a stomach flu and (reminisent of a food poisoning experience a couple thanksgivings before...) we were not up for a turkey dinner. The kids were pretty disappointed and I swear God listens to Caity's prayers like no one else I know, because what do you know? We started feeling better and decided around ten in the morning we were going to go for it! But...let me back track.

We woke up early in the morning to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade and have biscuits and gravy.  We hung out and played around the house for a bit while we tried to stream some football then...well, I guess that brings us to deciding to have thanksgiving after all at ten am. Wasn't much to stop the post and back up- but you know, it's good you know that we watched the parade and played together right?

I told everyone they were required to add at least five things to our our gratitude poster, haha, I know that probably takes away from the purpose...but eh, I still enjoy going back and reading what they put (even if it's because their mom makes them!) haha. 

Johnny was able to add in his own words this year, which I loved. William also threw in a couple scibbles. Caity's are always sweet and bless her heart, she is probably the most faithful contributor. 

As soon as she found out we were going to make a turkey, Caity got in her Thanksgiving dress and matched Jessie.

Johnny played Monster Match with his super heroes

Dad chased Johnny with our raw turkey

Caity dressed up Matthew while she played Queen Rainbow.

William helped me make gravy.

And at the end of the day, we had a mighty good spread:

It was a really, really, REALLY fun thanksgiving dinner.

That evening, John requested a very special Christmas present. 

As a family he wanted us to camp out in front of Cabelas so we could win a prize when the doors opened at 5:00 AM. I had my reservations, but gosh, I love that John of mine!! So, we bundled up, got our propane heater and joined the other crazies for a night of camping in a parking lot in seriously, not joking: ZERO DEGREE TEMPERATURES. It was cold. REAL cold.

The kids were troopers, but ended up spending most of the night in the car. I was positively miserable. But we drank hot chocolate, watched The Christmas Story projected on the building, won a couple t-shirts, and really had a fun time. 

(John didn't win the gun- haha)

(But we DID win two $10 gift cards!)

I'm telling you- there is no way, no how I could have done that with or for anyone else, besides John. He makes the worst experiences the best experiences. Right when I reach my end, he gives me that smile and what do you know, I realize I can go longer than I thought.

We also sold our suburban, which was sad, but also exciting because that meant rent for a few more months, haha. Oh life. We ended up buying a van, names Max the next Monday.

Also, on the way home, we stopped by Kohl's and I was able to get a couple more stockings for our set for 60% off, thank you very much. 

Friday, John went hunting with our friend, Eric, and put up Christmas decor and did homework. It was a great weekend together.