The Holidays

Every year, as a homeschooling mom, I have every intention of doing at least some school over the Christmas break. But pretty much every year, I fail. 2017 was no different. I even ended up taking an entire extra week of vacation, knowing that all our Albuquerque friends were out of school on December 18th, we ended up starting our vacation then too, spending the week making candies and cookies, wrapping presents, watching holiday movies, Christmas caroling, and just having fun together. Paul's sister, Christina, arrived on Friday night, after finishing her last final of her college career. My kids were thrilled, and we felt spoiled, to have "Aunt Stina" with us for a week.

I ordered a 4 lb wheel of our favorite cheese, Saint Andre, as well as a 10-year Hook's aged cheddar, which I think I need to buy on a monthly basis, cranberry crusted goat cheese, and a triple cream bleu. We were almost transported home to Wisconsin.

Being married to Paul, Christmas is always a big deal. As scientifically minded and practical as he is with some matters, when it comes to gifts, it's all about feeling. "I don't feel like Niels has enough...Anna needs more books to equal Hattie...I don't feel like we've found the perfect gift for Anders yet," are statements always heard throughout November and December. I have learned after 12 years of marriage that there is no reasoning with him when it comes to gifts. He is going to give what he wants to until it feels sufficient. As much as I have tried to set a budget in the past, or tried to plan a strategy for what to buy, he always does his own thing anyway. I've learned to be okay with it, and actually love him all the more for it.

This year was no exception. It was magical, as the kids loved all of his thoughtful gifts (it should be added that they certainly didn't mind my gifts....books and clothes....but they obviously weren't the highlight of the day). Karaoke machine, 3DS, tanks, fighter jets, Nintendo Switch, dune buggy to name a few.

Paul was on call starting Christmas day through New Year's so the rest of Christmas week was spent exploring our new toys with Christina. A few times we went to the park to enjoy the dune buggy, drone, and laser guns given to us by the Eastons. We also snagged a movie or two. It was a perfectly lazy week, in all honesty.

Saturday morning the kids and I loaded up in the van to drive to Spanish Fork to visit Michael, Julia, and co. Christina flew off to Texas and Paul was stuck with a few more call shifts before he could join us Monday night. I spent my first 3 days in Utah alone visiting old friends...the Calders, Sara Garay and co, and Jenny Transtrum. We spent a very quiet New Years Eve alone in Michael and Julia's home, going to bed at 9:30.

Once Paul joined us, we did a few more fun Utah things...visiting BYU, seeing the lights on Temple Square, swimming, doing burger Saturday with the family, perler beads, board games, and just being together. The hopeful skiing didn't happen, since the mountains were literally bare. And we spent one evening at the Petersons who lived in Lubbock before. Always fun to rekindle friendships.

And Erik turned 1...what? My final baby just started cutting his first tooth around his birthday. He's such a good baby. Ever since we move to ABQ, he has been sleeping like a dream and is perpetually happy.

Then back to ABQ...to work, to homeschool, to a house full of Christmas decorations needing to be taken down.

Catch up: December

And December. A wonderful, busy month. This is the second year of our 8 years of marriage that we had our own Christmas tree...we were always traveling in the past, or didn't have the money for a fake one. (FLASHBACK STORY: You may ask, "Why not buy a real one?" Well, when Paul was a child, he and his family went to cut down their own Christmas tree. They brought it home, set it up, and once in was warm inside their home, hundreds of spider egg sacks hatched, with thousands of tiny spiders inside. Paul was traumatized by the cloud of spiders in his living room, and swore, at the age of 7 or 8, to NEVER have a real tree in his own house.)

 The girls LOVED decorating it, since the one other time we had a tree they were too small to help.

 The girls did ballet...

 ...and Anna filled my phone with selfies.

Niels got his first haircut. I was just about to whip out my scissors to clear up a few rough spots when Paul said, "Na, we'll just use the trimmers." We immediately regretted it. With his hair, he lost his curls, and his baby-ness. It took me about 3 weeks before I wasn't sad every time I looked at him. I'm used to it now, and am feeling the need to trim it again...just not so short this time.

Best purchase of the year: the snow-blower. This was its inaugural use, but I used it probably a dozen times over the winter. We have a 3 car garage, therefore a wide driveway, and there was no way I could have shoveled it 7 months pregnant with as much snow as we got this winter.

 Paul liked trying to bury the kids more than anything.

 We started a new Christmas Eve tradition: Chinese take-out for dinner (and mac-n-cheese) for the kids. Everyone was pretty happy about it, despite Niels' grouchy face

 Christmas  morning lacked a lot of photos...suffice it to say, everyone was too spoiled, but very happy.

 I made the easiest, and one of the best, apple pies I've ever made...

 ...the girls played with their Frozen castle constantly...

...and Anna and Niels helped themselves to cookies whenever they pleased. This, by the way, is how Niels smiles when you ask him to smile for the camera. I love him. (And don't you agree that his baby-ness went away with his long curly locks?)

Christmas in Virigina

Every time I look at a map of the US, I am still surprised by how far east Wisconsin is. We are only 15 hours from New York City, 12 hours from Washington DC, and 15 hours from Williamsburg, VA. So when all of Paul's other siblings decided to visit his sister who lives there, we joined in the craziness and headed east. Gratefully, roads were good since we left after the storms hit, and we took a southern route through Louisville, KY. 

The week was full of all sorts of fun...Christmas Eve we went to the Yankee Candle store so the girls could sit on Santa's lap.

Later that evening we went to colonial Williamsburg where they have this awesome celebration as they light up the Christmas tree.

 

 We were all given candles which the kids loved...especially since the mild wind would occasionally blow them out. They loved helping light their cousins' candles and sharing the fire.

Uncle Michael read everyone a Christmas book or two.

My mother in law made these little elf dolls for everyone to open on Christmas Eve. My girls love them.

 With the children nestle in their beds, the adults had a party of their own...a root beer party. I don't know why, but Iversons are obsessed with root beer, calling it the celestial drink. We all brought some fancy root beers from around the country and battled out which was best.

Milwaukee's own Sprecher was in the top 3, along with Abida, and another one I can't remember. Paul is glad we live in a place were when can buy Sprecher at Costco :)

Christmas morning...

The great thing about being at someone else's house for Christmas is that there are more toys for my kids to play with, but we don't have to bring them all home!

And Erika's kids got a bounce house, which was the highlight of the rest of the vacation.

Aaron and Tandy made their kids a rabbit cage, which Nora loved and guarded.

The rest of the trip was spent having fun with cousins. The girls always ask when we are going back to Virigina.

Baby Graham!

Little Daniel explores the fridge...

 And no visit to Williamsburg is complete without visiting Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg

  

And Erika's fam has an awesome New Year's tradition...where aliens come and decorate the tree with underwear and socks!

Thanks, Erika and company for an awesome visit!