Over the past week, we had activities, sickness, family adventure, and child happiness. I like to write our letter by person and some times by day of the week. I think it is easier to follow our week by person instead of events. Pictures: Click here.
Family
- Sweetheart received an early Christmas present of an annual membership to a local museum. The museum membership allows us to visit reciprocal museums outside of a 100 mile radius. We chose to go and see the light at the LDS Mesa Temple visitors center Thursday night, stay in a hotel to use up our Marriott points (so we could cancel the credit card), and attend the Arizona Science Museum the next day. We all had a blast.
- We finished our Advent on Sunday before running down the hall to Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. We have enjoyed opening a “present” each day to remember the birth of our Savior.
- We went from Phoenix directly to our ward Christmas party.
- On Monday he went to work and felt lousy. The rest of his team also felt lousy but didn’t want to go home so they didn’t have to work the whole week just a few days of it. Sweetheart finally gave up and came home early. He went to bed and immediately fell asleep. Underfoot had a performance that night and asked his Dad to go support him. Sweetheart dragged himself out of bed to go watch his boy perform. Underfoot was ecstatic. At the potluck before the performance, Sweetheart ate his food very quickly and then sat on the stairs and watched. As soon as the performance was over, we headed out the door. Sweetheart said that he was having tightness in his chest, was hot, had a headache, and that he was in pain. I panic thinking he was having a heart attack. Sweetheart took a hot shower, got a few good burps out, and his chest pain went away. He had indigestion. So if you think someone is having a heart attack, check the internet for symptoms, burp them, and then call the ambulance.
- Sweetheart finished his hours at work for the break on Wednesday night and has been home since. He has been very cheerful this year at Christmas.
- Sweetheart is a champion. He has let me sleep in and read Louis L’Amour books (it’s how I’ve learned to like Arizona better.) What a great guy!
- The long awaited Christmas came. I conspired with my Auntie, and we arranged for her brother-in-law to made a book for my Grandpa H and his children. The story was an oral story that Grandpa H has told over and over. Since I wrote the story during high school, I have always wanted to have the book illustrated and one day published. Since giving it to Grandpa, he has given his permission to have the book published. It is part of our family history, and I did my best to keep it a secret. It paid great emotional dividends.
- My college roommate and her family joined us on Thursday night
at the Temple lights and then at the hot tub in our hotel. It
was a lot of fun to catch up and watch our children interact.
- In our family the 3 Kings bring presents which means 3 times the gifts. Underfoot this year has answered the question many different ways when people have asked him if Santa is coming. He started out by saying that Santa doesn’t come but the 3 Kings do, and by the end of the season, he would say, “I want Star Wars Legos.” The 3 Kings did come, and Underfoot received Star Wars Legos. It is amazing how the 3 Kings just knew exactly what he wanted.
- The Joy School nativity performance was Monday night. Underfoot was so proud to say “his” line of “There is no room, but you can stay in my stable.” He beamed when he said it. He had invited his friends (who are also our neighbors) to come and watch him. He felt very special that night.
- Underfoot said his favorite part of the week was opening up presents. He has become very helpful lately.
- We helped someone with the last 5 days of the 12 days of
Christmas. Underfoot was the perfect height to go to the door, ring
the bell, and not be seen. He would put the package in front of
the door, ring the doorbell 2 times, and run. He would come
sprinting from around the corner with a HUGE smileon his face.
When we made other deliveries later, he would ring the door bell
twice and run away. (Even when someone would open the door.) He
smiled each time.
- Lately Hurricane has started to say, “My Grandma says I will ride
on an airplane. And I say yes.” He has told many people this
phrase, and they in turn ask,“Are you going on a trip?” No we
are not, but Hurricane thinks we are.
- Hurricane loves the trains he received for Christmas. He stopped opening up presents after he saw the train and begrudgingly opened more presents. He was thrilled when one of the other presents was more trains. He refused to eat on Sunday for fear he wouldn’t get enough time to play his trains.
- He got to ride on the light rail in Phoenix. He loved it. Once
we were on the light rail, he settled into his seat and said,
“This is fun.” He told anyone that would stand still long enough
at the ward party that he rode the train.
