Weekend

To say I hightailed it out of school on Friday would not be an exaggeration.  We had a potluck lunch (except Miriam and her husband Nate catered the meat and it was amazing).  At the beginning of the lunch, Kristie said that no one would be watching the clock and we could leave whenever we wanted to.

I scarfed down my lunch and Kristie, as a grandmother herself, gave me her blessing to head on out.  (I posted my grades quickly while people were lined up for lunch.)

It is dreamy being with Eleanor.  She makes funny noises and funny faces and she is constantly in motion and she will pause briefly for a book to be read to her and I'm here for all of it!

Maybe nothing quite lives up to the hype like having a grandchild.  They are perfection.

She has stayed away from the tree so far.  We have strategically placed the basket of toys and the basket of books in the room to keep her busy.  

Those cheeks!

I don't have many pictures of her because she is mostly on the move.

Friday night and Saturday night, Adam and I had babysitting duties.  Separation anxiety is setting in a bit and she didn't love being left by her parents, but she is a great sleeper and she went to bed pretty easily both nights.

At church on Sunday, I proudly showed her off to all of my friends.  I loved after church when a handful of grandmothers gathered around me to tell me how adorable she was and we all talked about how great being a grandma is. 

My friend Bonnie looked across where Braeden was holding Eleanor and said, "She makes me so happy and I'm not even related!"

Sunday evening we celebrated Pikkujoulu.

Eleanor enjoyed all the food--in tiny pieces.

We love having the Davis Davises here.

After dinner, right before Eleanor went to bed, we opened ornaments.   Eleanor got an angel like I got when I was a little girl and like Emma got when she was little.

We went to the basement for our "program" so Eleanor could sleep (she's been sleeping upstairs in Emma's room).

Everyone shared something with the group.  Adam did a reading and I started to read Christmas Day in the Morning until I started to cry and Mark had to take over.

Emma and Braeden sang:

Mark read a bit of The Christmas Carol:

Anna created a graphic design that she gifted to everyone:

After that we watched President Nelson's Christmas message.  It is such a wonderful time of hope and love and President Nelson embodies that.

Adam and I had one more gift for the night.  I made a Snapfish book about our Christmas bears.

They loved it except for when they criticized that I'd referred to Alderwood as a "he".  Alderwood is a girl apparently.  I think whoever makes the Snapfish books makes that decision.

We had our treats, mostly gluten free and entirely from Trader Joe's.

This morning, I got up with Eleanor, hoping to give her parents a little time to sleep in.  Her diaper soaked her pajamas so we had to open a gift under the tree for a new outfit.  

Grandma's prerogative.

Pikkujoulu 2020

This has nothing to do with the post but aren't they cute?

I don't speak Finnish but I do know this one word. Pikkujoulu means little Christmas. We started having Pikkujoulu to incorporate traditions from my family's Christmas Eve into our celebrations.

We kept doing it because we like it.

I was there when we were 19 and Adam opened his mission call for Finland.  If I had known then that someday we would be married and that his mission call would eventually indirectly result in me not only  knowing how to pronounce but also how to spell Pikkujoulu, let's just say I would have been surprised.

Life can be wonderfully unexpected.

There is tension between keeping traditions and changing them.

Life changes and families shrink and expand and shrink and expand.  Traditions ground us and root us and it's also OK to change them.  It's OK to have traditions you used to do.

Sometimes life hands us things we didn't ask for and you write the carb count on recipes.

Sometimes we choose the changes and we channel more energy into planning lessons than baking cookies.

I did make Berry Shortbread Dreams, which is what the recipe is called.  Our kids call them jammy dodgers.  They are everyone's favorite and have 8 carbs per cookie.

I used to make several kind of cookies as well as fudge.  I told Emma, "I am not making all the cookies this year for Pikkujoulu."

She said, "I know.  I was there when you were tossing things in your cart at Trader Joe's."

I'm OK with it.  I'm OK with keeping what matters most (a holiday that's hard to pronounce) and getting rid of things that no longer matter as much.  (Although fudge matters.  It does.)

Setting a festive table matters to me.

Does it bug anyone else that that spoon is askew?

What matters the most is the people.

Braeden and Anna and Emma put the finishing touches on the tree by adding the ornaments Braeden and Emma grew up with.  (Braeden said he'll take his in August when they move.  I said take them sooner because I don't want to go digging for them in August.)

Anna valiantly aimed to put the ornaments high because I said I left all the high space for Braeden.

Here I am supervising from the couch. It was an exhausting weekend and brought back all the fatigue.  Also I didn't wear a mask because I've already had Covid and I was too tired to bother.  I do appreciate how diligent our kids are in wearing masks though.

Emma paused long enough to pose for a dramatic picture.  I can't imagine how much makeup ends up on the inside of her masks, but a girl has to be who she's meant to be.

If you're wondering where Mark is in all this, he hates decorating Christmas trees and he slipped away to the basement.

Later, he read Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree to the group and also, for the first time, did the scripture reading that Adam usually does.  It's kind of like when the dad lets the son carve the meat for the first time.  Ceremonial.

Emma sang beautifully like she does, Adam and Braeden and Anna all shared a Christmas memory.  Anna's made me cry.  She has more goodness than it seems a person can contain.

I'm glad she's ours.  I'm glad they all are.

Pikkujoulu

I flat out refused to say the prayer.  Desi looked at me a little shocked and I said to Adam, "No.  Because I'll cry."

Why can't that guy give me a break?

He had Mark, who has ice water in his veins, say the prayer.

It was a lovely and festive time.

In the afternoon, the kids and I finally decorated the big tree.  Did I get a picture of everyone in front of the tree like I wanted to?  No.  I didn't.

I did take a picture of the table though, because setting the table is my favorite part.

rosemary sprigs in the napkin rings--they delighted me

We had our traditional feast of clam chowder in bread bowls and fruit and cheese.

Emma was ready and willing to pose for pictures:

I wanted to take one of Emma and Mark together.

I said, "OK, now I want a nice one."

Emma was slightly offended. "I was looking nice."

Mark said, "I wasn't."

(By the way, I deemed no pjs for pj--pikkujoulu.  So Mark wore his uniform, a white t shirt and sweatpants.  So basically pajamas.)

Then he smiled for the camera.

Braeden took a picture of Adam and me and we look sort of goofy but we also were laughing.

Adam is my favorite and no one makes me laugh like he does, although our kids are pretty expert at it.  He got that apron before any of our kids were born when he worked for the Animal Science department at BYU.  It's an institution around here.

We read Christmas stories (and I pulled out my new reading glasses because that's the world I live in now).  I had Mark read the story that would make me cry.

We exchanged gifts with Braeden and Anna, who will be in Virginia for Christmas, and we gave the kids their ornaments.

Adam did his Christmas reading from the Bible and Book of Mormon which is as much an institution as that apron.  He usually reads it on Christmas Eve but I requested it last night too.  Maybe he can do both.

Here's what I love:  Christmas and traditions and my people.

Pikkujoulu 2018

(Today is my best Christmas present ever's birthday!  Happy Birthday to Mark!  I'll write about his celebration tomorrow.)

Geri came Friday night and Mark and I also drove to Provo to pick up Braeden to stay with us for the weekend. (Emma had work and other Emma things to do.)

So it's been a party.

Saturday morning we went to the temple and performed sealings for some of Geri's family members she had researched.  It was a powerful experience, particularly when we sealed five sisters and one brother to their parents all at the same time.  It made it seem more real somehow to see each family member represented at once.

It reminded me how much I love my siblings.

That afternoon Emma came and we played Disney Codenames (which is really hard but also fun) and drank Cranberry Sprite.

That night we celebrated Pikkujoulu.

In a rare turn of events I remembered to take a picture.  I said, "Don't touch anything!  I'm going to take a picture."

As you can see Mark was already digging into his bread bowl though.

We ate clam chowder in sour dough bread bowls and fruit and cheese and it was a happy time.

Afterward we sang some Christmas songs and gave the kids a new Christmas book:

In keeping with the theme, Adam surprised us with a new Lego set:

We put it together while we ate fudge and cookies.  Emma and I discovered if you detach the train from inside the carousel and then turn the crank, the train goes flying.

Emma said that next year she's hoping to be in France this time of year and I told her that I am going to cut her passport into ribbons so she can't go.

I think it's what any supportive mother would do.

I need this girl in my life.  That's all.

A jolly holiday

Braeden gave Hobee (Braeden's favorite bear) a ride on Horace

Well, we've been having fun.

Geri came on Friday evening (and so did Braeden).  We introduced her to Quiplash (and she soundly beat us) and we spent the evening visiting and enjoying.

Saturday people sort of came and went but we had lots of together time too.

Except we missed Emma.  (She had a performance Friday night and Saturday afternoon and homework and the like.)

Saturday night, we went to her concert.

How I loved it!  As part of the concert, they showed this video.  You can see Emma really briefly several times.





I can't get over how blessed we are 1) to be able to go to lots of BYU stuff because those kids are amazing or 2) that our kids get to go to that great place.

Each choir was spectacular and then the philharmonic orchestra played the Nutcracker suite and Sleigh Ride.

No one can be uncheered by that sort of business.  The entire evening was uplifting and we cried except Mark (who possibly has ice water in his veins or perhaps is too young for the curse of crying).

We happily greeted our songbird after and Adam and I took pictures at the same time so no one is looking at the same camera.

Emma had a gala event for choir after so had to rush off to get ready for that.

After every other concert, we've taken Emma out for celebratory ice cream after.  When we were driving home, Braeden said, "You know...I don't need Emma here to eat ice cream."

Adam stopped at McDonald's.  Because if you give a son ice cream, they're going to want a burger to go with it.  That's science.

Mark introduced Braeden to the "McChuckle."  It's Mark's own invention where you stick a McChicken inside a McDouble.

Mark is giving Braeden a bite but keeping his hand on the creation so Braeden doesn't get any ideas.

I stick with the Hot Fudge Sundae.  That and Diet Coke are the only palatable things McDonald's has to offer.

Sunday we celebrated Pikkujoulu.  Last year whenever I heard Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, when I heard, "next year all our troubles will be out of sight," I thought about this Christmas.

Nestled next to Braeden on the couch (both sons = world champion snugglers), I realized that my last year's Christmas wish had come true.  Life is never perfect but it is better and I love having my boy back.

We ate all the normal spread (clam chowder in sour dough bread bowls) and the treats.  The kids opened their ornaments (from us and from Geri) and Adam read A Wish For Wings that Work.  Mark read parts of the Christmas story from the scriptures in Spanish, Braeden played music for us and testified of truth.  Emma read Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve.

Two exciting things happened amidst our celebration:  the first snow and the Christmas bear arrived.

Braeden built a mini snowman in the skiff of snow:

The Christmas bear is a girl and guess who was thrilled by that:

We named her Noëlle.  

I love my people.

Some Christmas cheer

1-  Last night was Pikkujoulu.  (Our made up family holiday.  If you're going to make up a holiday, make it hard to pronounce, I say.)

Here's the somewhat festive table:

Busy day + not my best effort.  Also we didn't just eat cheese and fruit.  We had clam chowder in sour dough bread bowls.  And also cranberry Sprite.  Because we were celebrating, I tell you.  It felt like something was missing (duh...Braeden, for one) but Adam said he thought everyone had fun.

I read Amazing Christmas Extravaganza and Mark didn't leave the room.  He usually gets mad when the neighbors destroy Mr. Merriweather's decorations and refuses to listen.  This year he stuck around.

So that's something.

2- Here are Braeden's Christmas decorations:

He had asked me if he could buy a tree and I said go for it.  Also, happy news!  The Christmas package I sent--which took longer than it should have so I was worried--arrived!  He now has a Seahawks stocking to add to the mantle.

3- I bought this guy:

He reminds me of Rizzo the Rat and I can't see him without thinking of my favorite lines from The Muppet Christmas Carol.

"Light the lamp, not the rat!  Light the lamp, not the rat!"

"Thanks for makin' me a part of this."

Adam said he was freaked out by the thing.  Emma said she was surprised I would buy anything "mouse related."  Mark pointed out he is a rat, not a mouse.

Sometimes people don't share my vision.  But I soldier on.

4- The basement has still not been decorated.  It is a jumble of boxes.  Emma did set up the Christmas village and when Desi was over they pointed out all the high points to her and who was who.  Desi asked if she could be the snowman.

Done.

Pikkujoulu 2015

It was a different sort of year.  We were small in numbers but it was pretty joyous too.

There may have been some isolated missing Braeden tears shed (and not just by me).

I set the table with a cluster of tea lights and we we ate by candlelight.

The bread bowls were the last four available at the store.  They were a little too browned on top which began some commentary on the "bake."  We're newly fans of the Great British Baking Show.

Emma arranged the fruit.

Things like that make me feel like I am winning.  We ate a lovely dinner and enjoyed everything.

We watched part of the First Presidency Christmas Devotional for our "program."  Like I said, it was a different sort of year.

The kids opened their ornaments:

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, because:

Finally we had our treats.  Two kinds of cookies and six kinds of fudge (I had to cut really small pieces so I could try them all.)  I think Oreo is still my favorite.

More Great British Baking Show commentary ensued.  

I have my own Paul and Mary:

Imagine a lot of talking and with British accents.  These two little parrots are both good imitators.  

Here's Emma eating out of the side of her mouth...

...like Mary:

I had to ruin everything by insisting it was bed time.  The kids started quoting Arrested Development and I kept telling them to go to bed.  I think the fact that Adam and I were laughing so hard at their impersonations of Tobias and Job caused me to lose some credibility but they really needed to go to bed.  I know how things look when they don't get enough sleep.

And it isn't pretty.

So, Pikkujoulu was a happy night.  We laughed a lot and enjoyed our little tradition.  It was definitely not the same without Braeden.  We miss that kid.  He's happy though.  He is learning and progressing and there is nothing about that we don't love.  It's comforting to know he's happy there and we are happy here and we're still a family.  Forever.

Pikkujoulu 2014

I was feeling under the weather and it all felt like more effort than I wanted to do, but it was Pikkujoulu and I mustered my energy and did the work.

I messed up one of the types of cookies which is nothing new.

I realized that morning that I didn't even have an idea in my head about what we were going to do as far as a program.  Our programs are low key at best but I had not even thought about it.

Everyone rose to the occasion and participated in the program.

I set a festive-ish table.  Not my best effort.

We ate and then Braeden played the piano.

It occurred to me that Braeden won't be here next year.  And this year felt so mediocre.  I wanted a do-over.  I wanted to make it nicer.  I want Braeden around forever, not just a few more months.

Braeden put on a sport coat because he likes to dress up.  Mark does too.

Mark had more of a pajama clad shepherd vibe going on.  What would I do for entertainment if I didn't have such weird kids?  It would be a dreary world.

Mark showed us a video on the laptop about Christmas which was nice.

Emma played the piano.  Well.  I told her I wanted her to sing too so she and Braeden sang their funny version of Baby It's Cold Outside.  He sings, "You really can't stay."

She answers, "But Baby, it's cold outside."

I like it.

Grandma Geri did a little presentation with M & Ms.  Anytime you involve M & Ms, it's a winner.

I read, A Wish for Wings that Work, a perennial favorite.

Adam did his contribution last.  It's reading the story of Christ's birth, both from the Book of Mormon and Bible, with Silent Night playing in the background.  It's beautiful.

Finally everything felt right.  Christmas washed over me.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

It was the best news ever given.  I felt the light of season that represents the Light of the World.

 Joy to the world.

Pikkujoulu 2013

I don't have my act together.

I wish I did.  Marianne asked me how my luxurious weekend was and I said, "Not luxurious."  Because I feel like I've been running a race I can't win (big surprise, I've never been a fast runner).  My act.  It's not together.

I didn't take many pictures, I didn't make as many cookies, I didn't have much (if any) finesse to any of it.

Here's the thing about Pikkujoulu though: it is still good.  It's like life and pizza.  Even when it's bad, it's good.

This is Mark kissing his bicep.  What I can't tell you is why.

We ate clam chowder in sour dough bread bowls.  (Any evening that starts that way is a winner.)

We sang, the kids played the piano, I was going to read one of my sentimental Christmas books but I didn't feel like crying so I scrapped it.  We played a Victorian parlor game introduced to us awhile ago by Eric.

We each wrote a bit of a story then folded it over and passed it on.  The following stories were a result of our efforts:

1. Aunt Mary met Zorro at Winco.  He said, "Dang...that man is as hot as Helios," as he looked at his own reflection.  She said, "Oh, hi."  So they embraced and were destroyed by the hail of bullets being emitted from the car of Juan del Caspo.

2. Jahosephat met the dishy vicar named Phillip on the Argossy Christmas ship.  He said, "You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."  She said, "I ain't no raven, and I don't know no 'Lenore', but bro, never more!"  So they said hi in the TARDIS.

3. Amy Pond met J. W. Featherstone while chaperoning a youth dance.  He said, "See the falling star."  She said, "I can't believe you would say that to me!" And so finally, FINALLY Peter got the job he had been applying for for ten years.

4. Elizabeth met Ernie the Elf behind Steve's house.  He said, "Hi." She said, "Boy! Don't you give me no sass!"  So, the moral of the story is, choose your words carefully.

5. Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas me Rory Williams underneath the Caspian Sea in a submarine.  He said, "Does my tie look age appropriate?" She said, "Oh! My water just broke."  So they decided not to get married after all.

6.Clarisse the Reindeer met Rory Arthur Pond-Williams in the TARDIS.  He said, "Wow, you remind me of this dream I had."  She said, "That depends on who is asking," then the snow fell on top of the car.

(I didn't say they were particularly good stories.)

Adam read to us from the scriptures about the birth of Jesus and we read aloud The Living Christ.   Once upon a time we had it memorized but now just Adam does because he's Adam.

We exchanged Christmas ornaments and Geri attached pretty snowflake earrings to the package for me and my gift was a gorgeous embroidered dishtowel which I will never use on dishes because it is way too pretty.

She gave the kids jingle bells which prompted an impromptu performance of...Jingle Bells.

They all seem to have their eyes closed...they get it from me.  Also, I am realizing Braeden has the same clothes on as the previous day.  He's been like that ever since he could dress himself.  He is a repeat clothes wearer.  New underwear though.

Then we ate our fudge and cookies and Braeden tap danced for us.  (Any evening that ends that way is a winner.)

I may not have my act together but there is nowhere else on earth I would rather be.


Today is Mark's birthday!  Happy birthday to my favorite little ginger.  More on that later.