Two Christmases and a Mystery. Part 3.

For the last 15 Christmases, Skip's dad has planned a special vacation for the whole family. We are gone for about a week and have absolutely NO IDEA where we are going.

On Christmas night, we all gather together to collect clues for our annual Mystery Trip. Skip's dad plans the trip throughout the year and reveals bits and pieces to us that evening. He tells us what the climate for our destination will be. He tells us if there will be scuba diving available and he always has a picture that he cuts up into a puzzle.

We can ask him questions only if we are OK with "North Dakota" being his answer. We put together the puzzle piece pictures, evaluate all of his clues and make our first guess as to our destination. No one knows what he has planned, not even his wife. Everything is TOP SECRET. Only Papa knows the answers. One year, we were boarding our third plane when we finally found out our final destination.

The roads he has taken us down have been very memorable. This unique opportunity has provided fodder for conversations year after year. We are still laughing about the 18 hour trek into the Costa Rican jungle to find a volcano. Two flat tires, men with guns and a rain shower later, everyone saw the stinkin volcano except Skip's dad.

Or, the time we were at Pearl Harbor and a bird pooped all over my brother-in-law.

Or, the time we were in Wal-Mart with sick, vomiting kids bathing them in the sink.

Or, the time we had mutiny on a bus headed to Disney.

Or, the time when we couldn't get home because of a huge ice storm that grounded all flights.

Or, the time when we discovered that The Alamo was really a stone's throw from the Dillards in San Antonio. Just wrong.

Or, the time when we all smooshed our faces together in one window to see the New Year's Eve firework display over New Orleans.

Or, the time when we fed sharks in Curacao.

Or, the time when we played Scattegories in Grand Cayman and "someone" threw a temper tantrum and now we can't play that game anymore.

Or, the time when we had a High School Musical marathon that led to massive fall-out.

Or, the time where everyone in our family was offered d*r*ugs on the beach. Even my 5 year old boy!

Or, the time I almost died scuba diving in Barbados! One must really leave the regulator in their mouth in order to breathe under the water! Just FYI.

Or...

Or...

Or...

I could go on forever. Each trip holds its own memories for all of us. The details and the stories get told again and again with each person adding their own spin on it. Some stories just get better with time.

Here I sit on the eve of our next Mystery Trip with full anticipation. What will this year hold? Where will we be going? What new adventures await us? How will my kids adjust? But most importantly, how soon will it start?!

Thank you, Papa! I know it is your biggest thrill to provide this opportunity for your family. This is your legacy...your gift of love.

Two Christmases and a Mystery. Part 2.

Much of the day between the two Christmases include cleaning up my house and searching for new places to store toys. Sometimes, it includes a nap...sometimes, it doesn't. After clean-up, I am busy cooking food for the evening. My standard dishes for this night include meatballs, sausage wrap, fruit and veggie trays.

The kids are bustling with excitement to spend the night at their cousin's house. They prepare toys they are going to take with them, they make conspiratorial phone calls to plan their wake up strategy, and they ask every 5 minutes when we are leaving. A night surrounded by cousins is pure thrill for them.

Skip's family all lives on the same road in B-town, all about 1 mile apart. We live in the same neighborhood as one of his sisters. We all make the "long" trip to her house to set up camp for the night. We gather around for an evening of storytelling and appetizers. The kids, ranging in age from 18 down to 6 months, all run around the house playing with each other. Sometimes even the older ones join in the fun. It is very loud and busy compared to Christmas #1.

The kids all find their ways to our designated rooms in which all of Skip's family spends the night. This year, the kids made a fort in a closet that they SWORE they would sleep in. It lasted about 30 minutes until they all decided that sleeping in a bed would be better. Once the kids are asleep, the real magic begins. Gifts are wrapped, toys are assembled, and Santa secretly comes in and takes over the living room. Each child has their own special chair or section of the couch where their gifts are displayed. The living room could put any retail store to shame.

In the wee hours of the morning, all the adults go to bed. The kids usually wake up about 6:30 and manage to stay contained until 7:00. Then the screaming and chaos begins as they wake up the entire house. Everyone gathers in the hallway until the last person wakes up.

Ten, nine, eight, seven.............

The countdown begins for the mad race on the living room. The kids can hardly wait to burst out of the hallway to see what Santa brought for them. The joyful noises are music to my ears. The morning progresses into breakfast and opening presents finishing with the grandparent gifts.

The things I love most about this Christmas is waking up to a house full of kids that are all excited about Santa. The yummy appetizers that we wait all year to eat. The late night laughter. The ins and outs of housing 23 people, if only for 1 night...bodies are everywhere! The nap that certainly follows a busy couple of days! Seeing my husband laugh and joke and tease his family. It is magic.

Our Christmases are both extremely special to our family. They are alike in some ways and very different in others. I pray my kids find the special moments in both.

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy your holidays and traditions as much as I do!

Two Christmases and a Mystery. Part 1

We are so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by both of our families. Having said that, holidays are a bit tricky navigating from one house to another without hurting anyone's feelings. It has taken years, but we have found the perfect solution for us. A solution that honors both sides of our family. Since we tweaked our situation, we have the most relaxing holidays. I love our traditions, I love the memories we are creating for our kids that include relationships with both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Celebrating with my family is a wonderful affair with lots of yummy food and time to savor each person and gift. We start on the 23rd with a dinner at my Granny's house. She bakes the ham, scalloped potatoes and an amazing four-layer chocolate dessert. My mom and I add the traditional ham side dishes. It is heavenly.

After dinner, we retreat to my house where my mom and step-dad spend the night with us. We give the kids their Christmas jammies, take about 300 pictures of them being silly, and write a note to Santa with his cookies. Then everyone gets tucked into bed.

One of the challenges we have had to overcome with two Christmases is the Santa issue. Neither side of the family wants to miss that magical moment when the kids discover their presents from Santa. Thankfully, Santa Claus is very accommodating! We write him a note each year asking if he could please divide our gifts over two days. Santa is just cool like that!

We wake up the next morning to the smell of coffee and the excitement of three kids. Santa gifts take first priority. The kids play with their gifts and watch a new movie while my mom and I make breakfast; monkey bread, scrambled eggs, bacon, juice and coffee. During this time, my brother and Granny arrive. I love sharing a meal and a full house with people I love the most.

After breakfast, we start opening presents. My brother plays the part of Santa and hand-delivers each gift. We take time to watch each other and play with toys. We build up to the grand finale, saving grandparent gifts for the end.

The thing I love most about Christmas #1 is the relaxed feeling of savoring meals, presents and movies. I love the jammy presentation and the crazy wrestling that always follows. I love that the dishes we use to serve the food are steeped in tradition. I love the smells associated with this special morning. I love that my kids each have a grandparent that sleeps with them and they get to wake up in the morning and giggle with them.

I love it all.

Sixth

This month brought a flurry of activity for you, sweet one. You now have two teeth, you can sit up all by yourself, and your personality is EXPLODING!

Fun doesn't even begin to describe what life with you is like. You bring so much joy to our home. As I tucked you in bed tonight I thanked God, again, for the unbelievable privilege of being your mommy. Sometimes I feel the need to pinch myself to make sure this is all real. You are loved!

Sleep tight, my Santa Baby. Let's giggle and snuggle some more tomorrow!

With this "wing"...

On this day, 13 years ago, I married my best friend. It was a cold day in December with gray skies and a threat for snow. I didn't care. My heart was full of excitement and indescribable love.

Surrounded by our closet friends and family we united as man and wife. Our candlelit ceremony was perfect and simple. As I stood before my soon-to-be husband, I realized that my life was blessed beyond measure.

During the vows, Skip was so nervous that he accidentally said, "with this wing." Then very subtly flapped his elbows in an attempt to lighten the mood. When it was my turn, I didn't want Skip to feel silly by misspeaking. So what did I do? Never to be outdone, I said, "with this wing" and I flapped my arms. Only not so subtly.

In hindsight, I wish I would have realized that THIS WAS MY MOMENT and not flapped like a chicken on the day that I had been dreaming about since I was five. Because the truth is, no one heard Skip's blunder. EVERYONE heard mine. I have a big mouth and very flappy arms. Apparently.

My favorite emotion is laughter through tears. That is what I will take away from our wedding. Laughter mixed with tears of joy.

Skip makes me laugh...everyday. I love that about our marriage. Even in times of stress, we always find the laughter. I will admit sometimes the laughter is on my behalf. I am still the loudest and the flappiest.

I love you, Skip. I still can't believe God chose you for me.

I don't deserve you...

We Give Thanks.

Here it is December 1st. November has passed by with barely a whisper. It seems like (and I am VERY guilty of this) that Christmas really overshadows such a special month. I admit that I started decorating the beginning of November, partly due to time issues more than sentiment.

I would be neglectful if I didn't give Thanksgiving it's due respect. We had a wonderful and simple day. My beloved Gramps passed away just days before this Thanksgiving. We were flooded with family and friends for most of the week. By the time Thanksgiving came around it was just a small gathering. I think all of us needed that day to heal and let our memories settle. It was a beautiful day.

This year, I am most thankful for family. I am in awe at how God works His perfect timing. Last year at during Thanksgiving, we were a family of four with the promise of a new birth. This year, our family of five is so complete and full that it just thrills my heart. I am most thankful to God for providing for us in this way.

My cup overflows...

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I hope you all had a special day celebrating family and togetherness!