Day 13: Oh Come All Ye Faithful

Last year Christmas was extra special. Five days after Christmas Nate and I got married, and two days before I went through the Mesa temple to receive my endowments. What a wonderful gift to be able to experience the temple for the first time days before we celebrate Christ's birth. The day was great as we had the feeling of happiness and peace that the temple brings. I admit there were a few nerves but I was surrounded by the love of friends and family. It felt like a early mini Christmas dinner as we gathered back at my parents' home afterwards. Food covered the kitchen island. Everyone gathered around the kitchen and dining tables to enjoy good food and even better company. I feel so blessed to have family and friends that enjoy spending time together.

Day 12: Snoopy's Christmas

As anyone who has had them knows, pets are just furry members of the family, and since they're members of family, in our house, they celebrate Christmas too. Now my family has only had two dogs, but my mom always made sure they had something new and special on Christmas day. They even have their own paw shaped stocking. Their gifts are usually small; a new stuffed toy which will be unstuffed by the end of the day, a bone and some treats. The dogs always know that something special is going on and will pester my mom until they get their gift too. Then they are content, even if toys and treats go ignored. Everybody needs a little love and attention on Christmas.

Day 11: Want a plane that loops the loop, Me, I want a hula hoop

Over the years we have given and received numerous gifts. Shirts, ties, coats, shoes, skates, perfume, and toys galore, but of all the gifts there are just a few that are truly memorable and stick with you through the years. For some it may be their Red Rider beebee gun with a compass in the stock, for me it was my blue dollhouse. I know there are better pictures out there but I searched and searched and this was the only one I could find. This blue dollhouse was a complete surprise for me. I don't remember asking for a dollhouse, but there it was Christmas morning; a true labor of love. My dad built this dollhouse with his own two hands. The story goes that over the weeks leading up to Christmas, my dad and a neighbor got together and built dollhouses for their daughters. After work they would meet in a cold garage, and over dinner of pizza and soda, the sawed, sanded, glued, and painted two blue dollhouses. I loved this dollhouse and over the years my mom and I decorated it. We used little spare pieces of linoleum for the kitchen, scrap carpet for the family room, and one day there were plans for wallpaper.

After I grew to old to play with Barbies, I continued to hold on to the dollhouse with the idea that one day my daughter would enjoy playing with it. It moved to different spots in my parents' house and eventually got stored in the garage where, sadly, one day it went missing. We're not really sure when or how, but one day I asked about it and we couldn't find it anywhere. The theory goes that one day while the garage was open some one came by and took it. My heart broke to hear that it was gone, and I think my dad felt the same. Perhaps one day I could convince him to build a new one for his future granddaughter, should we be so lucky.

Day 10: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies

A holiday staple of every school age child is the school play. In fourth grade my teachers decided to put on a rendition of The Nutcracker. I can be pretty shy when it comes to preforming in public and would much rather be part of the supporting cast. Instead I ended up with a part as a sugar plum fairy, I'm pretty sure that Chari put me up to it. I am not a dancer. I never took ballet and only had a few tap classes. I feel fairly confident in saying this was my first and only time dressed in a tutu and it was in public no less. This picture, taken shortly before we took our places on stage, captures my feelings perfectly.

Terror, butterflies in my stomach, if I don't breathe maybe I'll pass out and wont have to go on stage. Luckily all went well and I didn't fall off stage, though I've never put on a tutu again.

Day 9: Deck the Halls

One day during Christmas break, while I played outside with some friends from the neighborhood we some how came up with the idea to decorate the Christmas tree that was lying by the side of our house. Christmas Day had passed and the tree was just sitting there, drying out, until the tree pickup team came by. I can't remember the context that resulted in our tree decorating but I'm guessing it was some sort of make believe house type game.

We got everyone involved, including our younger siblings, and started gathering up a bunch of toys from our backyard sandbox. Pretty soon the tree gleemed with trucks and cars of all shapes and sizes. The whole process kept us entertained for what seemed like hours. My mom thought it was quite creative and funny despite the mess.

Day 8: Oh Tannenbaum!

Last weekened we went out to find our Christmas tree. Not long ago, my brother in law, Cris, asked Nate and I if we were interested in taking a day trip to cut down a Christmas tree. I haven't had a real tree in ages and since my current fake tree is older than most people's shoes, plus the fact that this is our first tree, I thought it would be fun to take Cris up on his offer and perhaps start our own tree tradition. Saturday morning we got up bright (or should I say dark) and early to make the 4 hour drive past Show Low and past Sunrise ski resort, to the cutting fields. Outside the protection of the car it was a cold blustery day and my orginal plans to snap a quick Christmas card photo were unfortunately squashed. Looking chilly and rosy is one thing, blown away is another.

We walked, and walked, and walked all over the field in all directions. At each tree we considered I jokingly asked Nate if that one "spoke to him." After a bit of redneck ice skating, and some moments of contemplation we decided on two trees. Since we needed one more we drove further down the road and found a spot that was more protected from the wind. Here we found our tree and in it a little extra surprise... a bird's nest, carefully crafted but long since abandoned.



Loaded up on firs we made the drive back to the Valley, where after a nice warm bowl of homemade chili we got to work decorating the tree. Looks like we are officially decked out for the holiday.

Day 7: Do you hear what I hear?

Years ago my mom switched from real Christmas trees to a fake one in order to help my dad out with his allergies. Before that, however, the trip to the tree lot was a yearly adventure. Walking through the rows and rows of trees, my mom would search for THE perfect one for us to take home. The perfect tree was a Noble Fir with sturdy, full, evenly spaced branches. She had to find the tree that "spoke" to her. The tree that said, "I'm yours, take me home." As a kid sometimes it felt like we searched for hours, but when we got the tree home, and mom worked her decorating magic, it really was the perfect tree. This last weekend as we looked for our own tree, I found myself asking Nate if the one we were looking at "spoke to him."