Monday, January 19, 2009

It's about Time!


I'm a little slow, but I am finally getting around to posting about Christmas. This year we spent Christmas at home in Oregon. So here's the low down: Before we open presents we have a tradition to give a present to Jesus. We each write down our gift on a piece of paper and keep it in a special tin all year. While the kidos patiently wait to open presents we eat homemade monkey bread (like they won't get enough sugar from Santa! How did this tradition start?). Finally, time for presents. It was fun to watch Alizah get so excited about her gifts! The best part about Christmas morning is watching my happy, smily children open presents. Then they crash from the ultimate sugar high and I want to go back to bed. . . . . but instead we hop in the car and head 2 hours down to Eugene to be with Garth's family. I have 2 highlights from Eugene.

Highlight #1: White elephant gift exchange. The gift exchange is a fun tradition in Garth's family started last year. Garth got the best gift when he was in China. CHICKEN FEET! Real chicken feet to munch on. They eat them for a little snack. Yuck!! Garth bought them at a rest stop/convenience store. They were the treasured item of the evening! My contribution to the gift exchange was some "Vive Italiano" lip gloss I made from scratch with my sister when she came in town. (We added a little bit of garlic - well, actually a lot of garlic!) We are not completely mean so we also added other gifts to the pot, but I think we'll be remembered for chicken feet and garlic lips! What a great combo.

Highlight #2: Playing hockey. It's another tradition to play hockey the day after Christmas. I had an absolute blast and used muscles that haven't been used in a very long time. I was sore from my dairier down to my feet, but would do it again in a heart beat. My girls even liked it! Thanks Paula and Brad for the good time.

Overall Christmas was a success and I am grateful I shared that special time with family because family is where it's at - the fabulous, the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I'll take it all because I love my family!
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5 comments:

  1. JohnJanuary 19, 2009 at 4:04 PM

    It was great to see you holiday pictures. Love the picture of Alizah with the dirty face. Cute! You all looked like you were having a blast. What did the kids get for Christmas anyway? Looks like Alizah enjoyed the book in the picture and what was all that tubing Garth was helping someone with? Miss you all.
    Love, Grandma Diana

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  2. Me, Hannah gibbyJanuary 19, 2009 at 4:28 PM

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  3. MelissaJanuary 19, 2009 at 4:33 PM

    Alizah got into chocolate from my stocking and I had taken it away, hence the "evil eye" which was quite adorable. The tubing Garth opened were marshmallow shooters I made from pvc pipe and electical tape. We gave them to Garth for Christmas so he could have something more "manly" around the house. Poor guy is surround by girls!

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  4. MandyFebruary 5, 2009 at 8:42 PM

    Hi, Melissa! That is so cool that I found your blog from Alex's. What a small world! Your family is adorable. You have very cute kids. Say "hi" to your parents and siblings for me!

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  5. AutumnFebruary 16, 2009 at 12:02 PM

    Hey Melissa- I found your blog by looking at Debbie's. How is it going? A funny thing- I am in the same ward as Lisa Hutchings (small world, right?) and we somehow figured out that we both know you. Anyway, I'll always remember going to your house to work with your stamps for a Christmas book. You were so generous to let me do that. I hope this finds you well. I love to look at these pictures of your cute family.

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