Pictures lost

I haven't blogged for awhile because my phone stopped working on New's Years Eve and lost all my pictures.  I have been so sad because all Christmas pictures and our picture with Santa is gone, but I figured that they are only a few pictures and life still goes on, right.  We had a great Christmas.  With our grandparents passed away it made for a very different Christmas this year.  On Christmas Eve we went to my mom's for her traditional dinner.  I was doing fine until we all loaded in the car to go up there and then I lost it.  I was so grumpy at dinner and it's just because I was trying so hard not to cry.  My Grandmas both came to our Christmas Eve dinner every year and it was hard to not have them there.  I miss them so much.  I am so grateful and jealous too that they have moved to the next step in our journey, but I still miss them like crazy!!  

After dinner we drove out to the Roy Fire Station and saw those lights, they were AMAZING!!  Then we just drove all over enjoying the Christmas lights and decorations that people put out for all of us to enjoy.  We drove up above Weber State and I was so sad to see that all those houses that I remember as a child being amazing are no longer decorated.  I was so disappointed, but we found other houses that were decorated.   After we saw the lights we headed home.  Tegan kept saying, "we better get home or Santa might not stop at our house"  I LOVE the MAGIC of Christmas!!  It's so much fun!!  

Christmas morning Tegan woke up early and came into our room and whispered in my ear, mom I think I hear someone on the roof.  Maybe he heard Santa who knows : )  but when we all went downstairs Santa surprised us with a room full of presents.  The boys were so excited.  Every year we have all the boys buy all their brothers something and put it under the tree.  It was so cute, even though they were so excited for Santa gifts both Tegan and Kyson stopped before opening any presents and said, can we go open the ones from our brothers first.  I hope they will always love the gift of giving around the holidays and I hope they always stay good friends.  

Usually we spend all of Christmas day running from house to house visiting our many grandparents and parents, but this year was so different.  My parents did the traditional morning visit to see if Santa came and then we got a phone call from Zac's mom saying that  Zac's dad was really sick so they didn't want us to come up and get the sickness.  So we hung out at our house and even got to take a nap which was so nice.  Then later in the afternoon we went out to see Grandpa Thomas for awhile and on our way home we made a quick trip to see Zac's Grandpa and Grandma Miller (we hardly ever get to see them, so it was good to go and say hello).  Then we headed home and enjoyed a movie night with the kids.  It was so relaxing and nice.  

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  Not because of all the gifts and commercial stuff of it, but because life feels different.  You can just say Merry Christmas to a complete stranger and you feel so good inside.  I love that every song on the radio is about love, peace or Christ.  I am sad that it's over, but can't wait for next year : )