Criss-miss-bliss

(Warning: We just drove in from Idaho and my mind is bleh right now. So this post will be bleh as well. Having said that, I feel I can continue.)

Another Christmas has come and gone! We had a wonderful holiday and split it up between the two families, spending ample time in Utah and ample time in Idaho. I also happened to keep my personal Christmas tradition this year, which means I spent an entire night yacking from a stomach bug (8 to 10 times). 3 of the 4 Christmas holidays of my married life I have spent sick to my stomach. Two of them I was taken to the hospital. Lucy yacked right along with mama this time around, which made it much more heart-breaking. Poor Jason. Fortunately, we did luck out and do the yacking the night before Christmas eve this year and not on the actual day. We were both feeling significantly better by Christmas, so it wasn't enough to ruin the holiday! (Only enough to further deplete my energy level and my appetite and therefore increase my overall witchiness. I also know I was not this uncomfortable this early while preg with Lucy, and yes I have four months to go.)

I do have some gems of wisdom I will take with me from this year's holiday. (Don't get too excited, I have nothing deep or meaningful to give right now, I told you my mind is bleh.) Here are some things I learned this Christmas...

-Santa Clause does not have silver nor white hair, but strange golden blond locks.

And sometimes we have to hide from him.

-Everyone should own a shoulder bag with their name embroidered on it at least once in their life. And they should strut it. Nice work Grandma C.

-Pregnancy is way hotter in matching pajamas.

-While the swollen-ness is way hotter in these pjs, what we like to call "Jungle Cat" does not flatter pregnancy. Neither does sitting in that position below. (That's not my body, silly. That's Tiny Tim's entire Christmas ham shoved up my shirt.)

-"Jungle Cat" works well for the guys, especially Jason. And his pajamas are a thousand times more comfortable than mine. I'm happy to confiscate them.

-Friends should let friends throw tantrums in peace and not be judgy and take pictures of it.

-Barnyard Bessie really is that cool.

-Turns out I really am a great wife. I've done such an excellent job building my husband's self perception.

We left for Idaho Falls on Christmas day, got up there around 4 pm and were greeted by the loving arms of my mom, dad, Vanessa, Sam and Leah. I'm lamenting the realization that we really don't have many pictures from the jaunt, except for a few of the little ones playing. They are both hitting the adorable-agressive-play-stage in their development, so there was much scuffling, yelling out, and grabbing each other by the collar over loot, sippy cupys and suckies but man these cousins love each other and crack each other up.

Anyway, my mother went in for hip replacement surgery on Monday so somehow we got a little distracted from the photo shoots. (Surgery went well, she is such a trooper). Lots of exciting things happened while in IF though. We did go to Sherlock Holmes, and I did fall asleep at least 6 times during it, (it was just too much for me- I can't handle any amount of emotional intensity in film right now. I get overstimulated and narcoleptic. Love that that newborn defense mechanism comes back to me while heavy with child.) We also made it up to Heise hot springs for an afternoon, which was a great outing! but I am still smelling like sulfur. And, my best childhood friend Brandi had a beautiful baby boy, (looks just like her) and we got to visit little Everett and kiss his face before heading back home. I also masochistically stuffed my face to a sick limit at every opportunity, which really did make me physically ill at least daily, so induced much pig-like wallowing and complaining on my part. Lots of noteworthy events! Love that hometown of mine.

I love spending time laughing with our families. And there was more than plenty of that to go around. I love the meaning of the season. So grateful Christ was born for so many reasons.