Holidays with the Crandalls--2013

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! :)

The holidays treated us pretty good this year. Especially considering we had a new little baby and I knew that would bring me a great deal of germ anxiety. I was worried I wouldn't really be able to enjoy myself or go anywhere, but I did, and I am proud of myself. Really. I was tempted to just be a hermit and stay cooped up. But I knew that wouldn't make me happy either so I just played it as safe as I could and actually Max was the only one who seemed to not really get sick this season. He had a tiny cold around Thanksgiving but it went away quickly. The rest of us caught the stomach flu just before Christmas, and again just before New Years... Boo!!! Not fun at all. But at least we were healthy on the actual holiday. My Mom however had been under the weather since the day after Thanksgiving!! She's had a bad cough and cold. I didn't see her for over a month, cause she didn't want to risk the babies. I missed getting with her soooo much! She is my best friend, and the holidays just didn't feel the same without her. This was the first Christmas ever that I haven't seen my Mom. I hope it's the last. Sickness is the pits. It ruins everything. Thus my germaphobeness. (that is not a word. I know.) 

Fortunately we were still able to have a lot of good family time though. One afternoon I went to Dolores' and we made and frosted sugar cookies with Sierra and Daphne!

We took the boys to see Santa, just close to home at Station Park. We were not at all impressed with the Santa there though. He was anything BUT holly and jolly. The whole hour before arriving to see Santa we were telling Boston how nice Santa is, and prepping him for the experience, hoping for a better result than last year. Just before going in to the little Santa house Boston was saying in his cute little voice, " SANTA, Niiiiice!" And I think he would have done ok with seeing the Santa except he was such a grump, and anything BUT holly and jolly.... oh well. Max on the other hand would have been fine if we left him and got dinner. ha ha he was chill as can be. Fun memories at least. :)

 While at Station Park Boston also helped me do some shopping. While I was looking at a shirt I looked over to find Boston trying to hold hands with one of the mannequins. lol must've thought she was cute. ;)

We ALMOST didn't put up Christmas decorations this year. Life just seemed too busy and it didn't really seem it would be appreciated by anyone, my whole family sick, so no one would really be coming over...BUT we did put up some, and most importantly the tree. I am soo glad we did because it helped it feel like Christmas. It made the home feel warm and cozy even if it was just for us. And Max LOVED looking at the tree. We could set him in front of it and he would be happy for a good half hour... so if our tree is still up in March... you'll know why. ;)

Beautiful Christ ornament, thanks to my Mother. My favorite ornaments on our tree. :)

Christmas eve we spent at my Uncle Chad's as usual, which is always a good time, but again, not the same without my Mom there. Dallin also could not be there cause he got pretty sick the day before. But we had a beautiful dinner put on by my Grandparents, and we played Bunko and sang songs and opened our beloved calendars from my Grandma! During all of that Max got to spend some quality time with his Grandparents.

Christmas morning was great, Boston definitely grasped the concept a lot better than last year, but I think next year will be even better! One thing is super nice and that is that we can get away with simple. Boston wouldn't have cared in the least if he would have had a stocking full of clementines to peel! That's his favorite thing to eat (as of late) and it keeps him occupied for a good 10 minutes! So he probably would have appreciated that just fine, of course we did get him more than just oranges... He got a Woody and Buzz from Toy Story, and carried them around all day!

 We also got him his first train set!!! Andrew and I were probably more excited about it than he was but that's okay. It was a Thomas theme one, and it was really cool...BUT we returned it. Because it was a "smart" train and once you set up the small track Thomas knew where to go and Boston just sat there and watched it go around a couple of times and that was it... then he was bored with it and no imagination was necessary whatsoever. So we got him a wood one instead that has limitless possibilities, and we can add on lots of wood tracks and we can put an electric train on there or he can push them around it. It's great!

Boston and Maxton were just about as cute as it gets in their Christmas jammies. :)

Paul moved up here recently from St. George, so we've been seeing a lot more of him and he came over and helped me quite a bit while my Mom has been sick. I was sooo grateful for his help. I felt like he and I became pretty good friends through it all as well. :) A few nights before Christmas we had fun at his new little place eating pizza, then watching Home Alone and eating treats. We also invited him over to spend Christmas morning with us, he was probably more excited about some of Boston's toys than he was. haha Santa must've known that he would be at our house that morning cause there was a stocking for him next to all of ours and a few gifts under the tree. ;) His favorite being a box of Trix cereal that he had mentioned to me he hadn't had since he was a kid. He opened them up right then and started eating them. It made us all laugh. 

Then we got ready and headed over to Dolores and Jeff's home for Christmas brunch which is always FANTASTIC and absolutely delicious!!!! For the second year now we got to talk to Jordan-on his mission in Brazil- via Skype!! It was so good to see his smiling face, and it will be even better to see it in person in just a few more months!!! He had a sweet member there with him by the computer, as he was at her home. She was beautiful, and told me I was beautiful...so sweet. She had lots of good things to say about Jordan, and complimented Dolores on raising such wonderful boys. I completely agree!!! 

After hanging out at the Jasmers for awhile we would have normally gone to my parents home for the rest of the evening but with them being sick we didn't feel it would be a good idea... :( So we headed home which felt a little odd, like it wasn't really Christmas....But after we put the boys to bed Andrew and I turned on the First Presidency Christmas devotional that we had recorded and watched it together. It was so beautiful and really helped us feel the true meaning of Christmas. I am so grateful for my Savior, and grateful to Heavenly Father for being willing to send His only begotten son to this earth so many years ago. I am grateful for the life Christ lived and the example he gave through that life. And of course I am eternally grateful for the gift he gave that will never stop giving...the gift of the Atonement, so that we may return and live with Him again someday. With that I say Merry Christmas! :)