Sleeping Babies and the Joy of the Season
This past week has been filled with a lot of joy and the real meaning of Christmas. I have felt the love of Jesus Christ and the peace that only He can bring. He has been teaching me how to trust Him, how to love like He does, how to forgive others like He does, and how to focus on (and find) the good things in this world. I really appreciate His love for me personally, and for how kind He is toward me. I truly do feel of His peace this Christmas season, and it is such a good feeling.
Caleb and Bethanne did most of the holiday decorating before I got home, and I was so grateful! Less to do is always nice! I did find all the stockings that I made last year and had fun hanging them all up. Now it feels like Christmas is ready!
Last Sunday evening, I drove up to Rigby with Caleb and Bethanne to see Scott's parents, Phil and Coy. I hadn't seen them since the day Scott and I left home back in August. It was such a warming feeling to be a recipient of their welcoming hugs along with a delicious dinner! We were joined by Assan and Marissa (Harmon) and I can't begin to correctly spell their last name, ha ha. Assan is from the West African country of Togo and they met at BYU-Idaho a while ago, got married, and now they have a precious and absolutely beautiful little daughter named Azure. I had the honor of holding Azure when she was getting sleepy, and then patiently waiting until she fell asleep on my shoulder. When a baby falls asleep in your arms or on your chest, there is nothing better in the world than that. It is so peaceful and calming.
Grandpa Harmon (Phil) read us all a Christmas story that was part of their family tradition each December as their children were growing up. I can just imagine gathering around the Christmas tree and listening to his deep and animated voice telling the familiar stories year after year.
(Left to right: Bethanne, Marissa, Caleb and Phil)
(Phil and Assan)
Some of my favorite Christmas memories include:
Two short videos here that I took:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wHgj2x6EiTyqexmw7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HgkdtMXMfSyxHHbF6
Natalie has been borrowing our red Ford Ranger truck to get to work and run errands up in Rexburg this past semester. She dropped it off for Benson to use during the Christmas break while she's gone. I couldn't resist sending him a picture of his beloved truck parked back home. No surprise - his texted response was simply, "MY BABY!!" He's excited to be home soon and to drive it once again.
Kylie and I will be driving down to Salt Lake City on Christmas Eve to pick Benson up from the airport. He flies out Monday from Venice to Paris, staying the night in Paris. Then Tuesday (Christmas Eve) he flies from Paris to San Francisco, then S.F. to Salt Lake City. Then a fabulous 3 hour drive home to top it all off. Poor kid. He'll be sleeping in on Christmas morning I'm sure. Well, we all will probably, since we won't get home until around 10:30 pm Christmas Eve. No rush though. We're all adults, ha ha, so I doubt anyone will be getting up at the crack of dawn to peek in their stockings. It will inevitably be the smell of that breakfast casserole that will be the catalyst for getting us all out of bed though . . .
Scott is still doing well. He really enjoys his new shift, because he is working with some of the locals and he likes getting to know them. He's putting more of his Arabic language into practice, too. Sometimes he sends me a random text in Arabic. And then I'm scrambling to look it up to know what it means, and try to come up with a reasonable response. Scott, or the locals, usually end up correcting me though. What the internet says the definition is, is not exactly correct. What? The internet is wrong? I don't understand. But he'll let me know what they consider formal vs. slang, and what a more common response is.
Like this, for example:
And here are a couple of screenshots I took this weekend during our video chat. In the first one, he's showing me some mutual funds that he's been researching to invest some of our money. He's even been helping the boys there to learn how to invest their money. He's very good at it.
Caleb and Bethanne did most of the holiday decorating before I got home, and I was so grateful! Less to do is always nice! I did find all the stockings that I made last year and had fun hanging them all up. Now it feels like Christmas is ready!
Last Sunday evening, I drove up to Rigby with Caleb and Bethanne to see Scott's parents, Phil and Coy. I hadn't seen them since the day Scott and I left home back in August. It was such a warming feeling to be a recipient of their welcoming hugs along with a delicious dinner! We were joined by Assan and Marissa (Harmon) and I can't begin to correctly spell their last name, ha ha. Assan is from the West African country of Togo and they met at BYU-Idaho a while ago, got married, and now they have a precious and absolutely beautiful little daughter named Azure. I had the honor of holding Azure when she was getting sleepy, and then patiently waiting until she fell asleep on my shoulder. When a baby falls asleep in your arms or on your chest, there is nothing better in the world than that. It is so peaceful and calming.
Grandpa Harmon (Phil) read us all a Christmas story that was part of their family tradition each December as their children were growing up. I can just imagine gathering around the Christmas tree and listening to his deep and animated voice telling the familiar stories year after year.
(Left to right: Bethanne, Marissa, Caleb and Phil)
(Phil and Assan)
Some of my favorite Christmas memories include:
- Choosing the tree: I know we didn't do this every year, but I especially remember going often to the big white house on the corner of Orchard and Gobbi Streets in Ukiah, CA where they had a big Christmas tree lot. My Grandma Lillian worked inside the gift shop, where I have fond memories of getting free hot chocolate, while the scent in the air was a mixture of cinnamon and pine, and Christmas music was playing in the background.
- Decorating the tree: I think Andy Williams singing "Happy Holidays" was always the kickoff song, followed quickly by the Chipmunks and the Muppets Christmas album. The entire family would participate in decorating the tree, and it was always special when we could hang up the brass angel ornament with our name engraved on it from Grandma Zoe.
- Driving around to see all the Christmas lights around the valley, and how exciting it was when we would drive up the curvy mountain road to get as close to the giant white star illuminated on someone's property as we could. We would often take Grandma Zoe in the car with us, which she enjoyed very much.
- Nativity set: My mom started the tradition of putting up just one figure in the Nativity per night leading up to Christmas morning. We would rotate whose night it was to choose a figure, and usually Joseph and Mary would be added in during the final days, with baby Jesus being lovingly placed in the manger on Christmas morning. We would have family prayer together, and then we could open our gifts.
- With my own family (Scott and our children): I think Amber was really the only one who really enjoyed decorating the tree with me, no matter how much I tried. Bless her heart! Over the years, I have purchased a new Christmas storybook each season and I enjoy setting the books underneath the Christmas tree to entice family members to hang out near the beautifully decorated tree. I remember Amber preferred to read the books UNDER the tree. She definitely felt the magic of Christmas and the nostalgia of the lights on the tree late into the evening.
- And a few years ago, I began a new tradition of making Breakfast Casserole in the crockpot each Christmas Eve. When the kids were hyped up and needed a way to calm down, I would send them off to get ready for bed while I started cooking bacon and sausage in the kitchen. Because they knew that nothing was really happening in way of stockings being somehow stuffed with treats because Mom was "just" cooking in the kitchen, somehow this calmed them down and they were able to go to sleep by the time I got the hash browns, cheese and meats all layered in the crockpot. It was also late at night, too, around 10:00 or even later by the time I was done. I'd turn it on low for the night, check to make sure the kids were asleep, then quietly stuff their stockings with all the goodies. When we woke up the next morning, the entire house smelled like Breakfast Casserole! We would have family prayer, eat breakfast together, and then go open up presents. It just wouldn't feel like Christmas if we didn't wake up to the smell of Breakfast Casserole!
Two short videos here that I took:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wHgj2x6EiTyqexmw7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HgkdtMXMfSyxHHbF6
Natalie has been borrowing our red Ford Ranger truck to get to work and run errands up in Rexburg this past semester. She dropped it off for Benson to use during the Christmas break while she's gone. I couldn't resist sending him a picture of his beloved truck parked back home. No surprise - his texted response was simply, "MY BABY!!" He's excited to be home soon and to drive it once again.
Kylie and I will be driving down to Salt Lake City on Christmas Eve to pick Benson up from the airport. He flies out Monday from Venice to Paris, staying the night in Paris. Then Tuesday (Christmas Eve) he flies from Paris to San Francisco, then S.F. to Salt Lake City. Then a fabulous 3 hour drive home to top it all off. Poor kid. He'll be sleeping in on Christmas morning I'm sure. Well, we all will probably, since we won't get home until around 10:30 pm Christmas Eve. No rush though. We're all adults, ha ha, so I doubt anyone will be getting up at the crack of dawn to peek in their stockings. It will inevitably be the smell of that breakfast casserole that will be the catalyst for getting us all out of bed though . . .
Scott is still doing well. He really enjoys his new shift, because he is working with some of the locals and he likes getting to know them. He's putting more of his Arabic language into practice, too. Sometimes he sends me a random text in Arabic. And then I'm scrambling to look it up to know what it means, and try to come up with a reasonable response. Scott, or the locals, usually end up correcting me though. What the internet says the definition is, is not exactly correct. What? The internet is wrong? I don't understand. But he'll let me know what they consider formal vs. slang, and what a more common response is.
Like this, for example:
And here are a couple of screenshots I took this weekend during our video chat. In the first one, he's showing me some mutual funds that he's been researching to invest some of our money. He's even been helping the boys there to learn how to invest their money. He's very good at it.
I sure love that guy. He is kind, he is fun, he is my rock. I will miss him during the holidays, but it will be okay. This Christmas is not the most ideal year to begin with, because we are separated and I'm just a guest in my own home right now. So because my expectations are lower, it shouldn't be too bad. Next year will be awesome though. Not only will we all be together, but Amber and their family will be here too! I can't wait!
Merry Christmas! I hope you feel the joy and peace that only our Savior Jesus Christ can bring into our hearts and our homes. May God bless you all in the ways you need.
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