Emotional Christmas

We have had a season of major ups and downs in our family. On December 20, we went to Houston to pick up Alex from his first semester at BYU. We were so very excited to see him and have him here for the holidays. I think I wanted to make everything that we have ever made for Christmas and make it extra special because he was home. I think having him be away makes him being home all the more special.

We drove home that night and went directly to the Pogues to do what we had been putting off for a day or two....say goodbye to our closest friends.....really more like family. I didn't really think I would cry, because I hadn't really much in the weeks leading up to this. But, it was not a pretty site. I cried all the way home with Mary Catherine sobbing in the backseat. I miss them like crazy and have cried many times.....including right now. Last night I went up to Mary Catherine's room. She was on the phone and I said, "I miss the Pogues." She was wonderful and got right off the phone to talk to me. I AM SUCH A GIRL! Gwen will think I am being ridiculous when she reads this.

So, I spent the rest of the week preparing for Christmas. Sewing.....lots of sewing...until the wee hours of the morning. But, I got it done, including 16 stockings for the girls American Girl Dolls, robes for girls and doll, and PJs for girls and dolls. A little shopping and cooking in the mix and we were ready.

We had invited the Skinners and Zack's parents and grandmother over for Christmas Eve dinner after we attended Mass with Zack's mother, but Sister Skinner called early afternoon to say her car had broken down and she was having a really hard time with the death of her son and wouldn't make it. My heart aches for her.....really. So, when we returned from Mass we were pulling in the driveway and spotted the Morris' leaving our house from dropping off treats. So, we invited them to stay. They had been sick and were planning to eat leftover chili for supper. We were thrilled to have them. It was so fun to have a baby around. My daughters followed after him and would have kept him if had been an option. He was so fun and his parents weren't so bad, either! Zack's mom and grandmother came, too and we had a great time visiting and eating WAY too much.

Santa came in the morning and the kids were up just after we went to bed.....first at 2:30, followed by 4:00, then us by 6:30. This has prompted me to think that Santa will definitely wrap presents next year. The stocking can be emptied and then we will open presents when WE decide to get up. Too much earliness with too little sleep. We had invited all 6 Lake Charles are missionaries to come for breakfast and so at 6:30 I began to fix breakfast. After eating, Zack, the sister missionaries, and I fell asleep in the chairs. Little snooze later, we got up, played some more with the kids and off the Maw-Maw's for lunch, where I fell asleep again, after lunch. Not enough sleep for me in the last few days. When we came home Santa GranJan had arrived with a new sleigh of gifts. More eating and opening and staying up late.

So, all culminated in falling asleep in the waiting room at Children's Clinic the next day with Sarah Beth, who took a picture of me all slumped over on the arm of the couch. Yeah, me!!!! Yeah, teens and pre-teens with cell phones!!!