Christmas 2008

We had an amazing Christmas this year. We started celebrating on Dec 18 when Colt graduated from the police academy. I flew up to attend the graduation. It was really special. Colt's dad would have been so proud. Two of his dad's best friends were there to support him: Dale Elton and Jim Raburn. It was super chilly in Salt Lake but it was such a warm lovely time that it was easy to bear the snow.
Friday morning we loaded into Maggie's car and tried to head home early to beat the storm. We did beat the storm, but we really didn't get out of town early. . . That's another story that Maggie or Colt should tell. I was just a passenger in the back seat.
We spent the weekend at home in St George getting ready for Colt's Festivus party on the 23rd and doing the food shopping for the week's special dinners. On Saturday we went shopping . . . again. We slso wrapped a lot of last minute gifts, went to see "BOLT," and Colt went shooting with the Ence Cousins.
Colt and Maggie went to church on Sunday and then had the bad luck to go visit the grinches. This would have been a totally negative experience except that it gave us lots to laugh about over the next few days. That evening we had our family Christmas Eve dinner. It was just delicious. We were joined by Sari and Mike, Jamie and Addie, Abbie and Phoenix. It was just so much fun. After dinner there was a game of Apples to Apples while I tidied the kitchen and got the lemon sauce ready to go with the gingerbread.
On Monday I went to work. Colt and Maggie went skiing with the Ence kids and they had a wonderful time. I fixed corn chowder and they all ate and experienced the "Tim Tam Slam."
Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with Festivus and Maggie preparing her family's traditonal Swedish Christmas Eve dinner. We had a surprise guest join us. Maggie's brother Scott flew in on Christmas Eve and that really made it special for her. We were joined again my the same group from Sunday plus my niece Ciera. We ate later than we planned because Scott's plane was weather delayed and the little girls got pretty tired and hungry but we finished up in time for them to get to bed before Santa got to town.
Colt, Maggie and Scott went to Midnight Mass and Sparky and I waited for Santa. We all got to bed about 2:00 AM and Colt (Bless his heart) got us up at 6:00 AM. We had a really perfect day. Santa was more than generous and the gifts we gave each other were heartfelt and wonderful. Sparky was especially entertaining discovering his stocking. We went over to deliver gifts to the Ence's and Becca came to my house to get her gifts and play. She and Ciera arrived in time to eat turkey turnovers. A very important Christmas tradition in our family. Ciera didn't eat any of course because she doesn't eat meat, but Becca quite enjoyed hers.
The Wii was a lot of fun. Colt, Scott and Maggie stayed up playing Rock Band until after 2:00 AM.
For me it was probably the best Christmas ever. (This time for real Colt, not like your "Best Christmas ever in '06). It was a BB gun Christmas for me and that was ever so fun.
Friday we ran around and did some errands and went to Red Robin for a late lunch. Today we got the kids all loaded up to head north. Maggie's family is flying in from Pittsburgh for a family ski trip. Colt and Maggie are really looking forward to that. Before they left I got a cash course in Wii 101 so I can at least do something with it before they come back down and we took some family photos.