The Christmas Star

 

Mom has had this dream of hiking up to the lit up star on the mountain for years. Well this week we finally did it. We all bundled up and Jaden and I put on shoes we quickly found had no traction and headed up an icy trail up the mountain to the Davis County star. It was actually really cool to see how it was setup but the best part was the view of the valley. Although I love the greenery and abundance of trees in Pennsylvania I do miss being able to see for miles and view an actual horizon. I always miss our mountains and usually tear up each time we descend down into SLC on our flights home. As we sat together on the steep hill as a family I decided to share a thought about the Christmas star by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "The same God that placed that star in a precise orbit millennia before it appeared over Bethlehem in celebration of the birth of the babe has given at least equal attention to placement of each of us in precise orbits so that we may, if we will illuminate the landscape of our individual lives, so that our light may not only lead others but warm them as well." 

Dad followed it up with another quote, "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." - Jimmy Hendrix

The next day I got up and worked and then we ran down to the Utah store to get geared up for the Rose Bowl game. For our Christmas gift this year my parents are taking us to California to watch the Utes play Penn State (what are the odds that we're playing a Pennsylvania team)?! I saw a girl I went to school with at the U down there which was fun to catch up. And we had to snap some pics by the Rose decorated Christmas tree in the middle of the store. 

Then that night Jade and I went and helped Amy with her annual Polar Express Christmas sleepover. Jaden was the train conductor and I found some gold believe tickets and had the kids line up and get their tickets punched. Then we did a scavenger hunt around the house where we found pictures of the characters from the Polar Express movie all leading up to the bells in a basket. We gave each kid a bell then came back downstairs to the kitchen where Amy had setup a hot chocolate bar. Each kid got a mug and loaded it with candy and sugar and we headed down to the basement to try to keep the sugar rush in check with 6 littles. Overall they did pretty well up until bedtime when several of the kids didn't want to go to bed and two of them didn't want to sleep by each other. After several meltdowns one of our nephews ended up climbing halfway up the stairs and fell asleep on the landing. Eventually we picked him up and moved him into another room. It was another good dose of birth control for us... but jokes aside we really love our nieces and nephews and have missed watching them grow up while we've been gone. 

Our friends Landon and Mady stopped by and it was so fun to see them. We can't wait for their wedding next summer. 

The next morning we got up and made homemade Santa waffles that were a big hit. Then by mid morning the parents came and picked everybody up. 

Our Christmas rotation this year was Christmas Eve at the Hall's and Christmas Day at the Richins. My parents always get Tony's pizza for our Christmas Eve dinner and my Grandma Jane and Grandpa Richard (who we all call Grandpa Duck because he has a killer Donald Duck impression) and Aunt Steph come down and play games and have dinner and open gifts together. My dad went down and got a frame 

I actually really like when Christmas falls on a Sunday and we can go to Christmas church. Since Christmas Day was with the Richins Jaden and I got up and got dressed and went to church with Jeff and Amy. Megan came and brought her kids and Parks and I were matching. After church we went and had dinner and opened gifts. Jeff and Amy decided to do a smaller Christmas this year and instead put money toward a big family trip to some cool houses in St. George in the summer. I am a-okay with experiential gifts and think it will be a lot of fun to have quality time together when we come back for Landon and Mady's graduation. I had some deja vu watching Sloane open a barbie farm and horse set. I had a similar one when I was a little bit older than her. In the words of Lady A I love seeing "Christmas through their (kids) eyes." 

We finished off the day by going to see my Grandma Moyle who is down at Legacy long term health care. She has been a trooper and endured sepsis, kidney stones, fluid retention in lungs and congestive heart failure. But is still hanging in. We don't know how much longer she'll be here on this side of the veil it but we are grateful to be home for the holidays and be able to visit with her. 

Peaches

• Went to a family Christmas party for the Robinson's side of Jade's family. It was fun seeing a lot of the extended family we only see every couple of years

• Jaden and I went to dinner with my coworker Gretchen and her husband Scott. We went to school at the U together and had always talked about doing a double date with our husbands. It never happened and then one day my boss came to me asking if I knew anyone we could hire and expand our team and she came to my mind and I just knew she would be a good fit. And she definitely has been. She and Scott are living in Louisville, KY while Scott attends med school but their families are both in SLC so we decided we should meet up while we were all home. It been about 3 years since I had seen her. I talk to her everyday but was so fun to meet up and go to dinner together. At of course the Mandarin, had to hit that while we were home. 

• Hiking the star
• Sleepover with nieces and nephews
• Love hanging out with Jensen, he sat up with us when we were getting things ready for the sleepover and this was one of my favorite conversations, "Jensen did you have fun going to work with your dad?" "Oh yes it was such fun!" 

• Found a cute ornament my mom has with us over in PA

Pits

• Not a lot of pits I can think of, Christmas is pretty peachy time of year