Christmas: The Non Presents Blog

Alright, so I figured I would write a blog about how great christmas really was besides the awesome presents. It just takes me more time to write blogs about the good stuff, so I have procrastinated, and now it's past the New Year, so it will take me a couple weeks to write a blog about that. I'm always behind in these things. My blog is all out dated. I don't know where the other bloggers find the time. But that's just how I roll. Let's light this candle.

On Christmas Eve Rachel and I ventured down to Orem to spend the night with her family. This is a tradition they have always had. So we arrived and ate a giant feast consisting entirely of appetizers. (You can check out Rachel's blog for pictures). There were these amazing smoked weiners, as they call them, which I devoured in mass quantity. Much concern was expressed for my stomach, but I assured everyone that my stomach can handle almost anything. There was also a lot of crackers, and seven layer dip, and cheese sticks, and caffeinated beverages. There was even some amazing looking cookies, but I never made it that far. I ate myself into a small food coma as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was playing in the background somewhere. Pure, yuletide bliss.

Then we observed another long-standing christmas tradition of their family where everyone says something nice about someone else in the family. Can I just say that Rachel's step-dad Ron, and her siblings Alyssa, Jonathan and Matthew, are all the most kind-hearted, and sincere people around even on a normal day, so when they go around and try to think of something nice to say about each other it is super sincere and almost guaranteed to make you cry a little.

Some people we know, since Christmas, have pulled me aside and asked me how they all were for Christmas? I always say that they were all well. I'm sure there was moments that they were all having a hard time, but everyone in that family puts so much thought into making sure that everyone else is having a good time that it's impossible in that house for anyone to feel sad for very long. Rachel always tells me that they are only so close because they are so young, but I can assure you that when my family was that age, it was not pretty. There were a lot of knives and frying pans flying through the air at any given moment. Not to mention the hair pulling, etc. So I hope they do all know how special they are.

The next tradition of the evening was everyone receiving a new pair of pajamas to sleep in. I have not actually owned a pair of pajamas in years, but I got some too. No more grungy sweats for me. I got some PJs.

Eventually we all had to go to bed so that Santa Claus could sneak in. I slept like a rock, and was jolted awake as Rachel tripped into my room (Jonathan's room that was given up for me, actually), and said "Merry Christmas!" It was 5:54 AM. We opened a lot of presents, and by 7 everyone had separated to do their own thing. Matthew and Jonathan were hooking up their new X-Box. Ron was asleep somewhere. Rachel was taking a nap on the couch. Wrapping paper was strewn all over the place.

By 10:00 we arrived at my parents house in West Jordan. Since my family is older, and mostly scattered all over the place, the only solid tradition is that everyone comes over there for breakfast and to open presents. It's a little bit chaotic, and the children opening presents is the main event. Mostly it's just a chill breakfast, and a rare occasion of all of us being together at the same time. It was good times. If the description is vague it's because I don't remember this part all too well. The early wake up was starting to catch up with me.

Then we hauled ourselves back over to the Cottonwood Heights to open presents with Rachel's dad #1. The third opening of presents that then took place was a lot sillier. There was a lot of laughing and joking going around, everyone giving each other a hard time and loving it. It's interesting how every different christmas thing you go to has a different sort of tone based on who is involved. They are all super fun though. Even though it takes a lot of driving with very little sleep, I could get used to all this good times. There is something exhilerating about trashing one house with wrapping paper and bows and then simply driving to the other side of town to another house and doing it all over again.

And then I think we took a little nap, or maybe I just lost some time. But after a while we drove back to West Jordan again to have dinner at my parents. Their christmas dinner in recent years consists of sandwiches made with cold cuts and a veggie tray. And my mom's amazing cranbury salad. And some santa clause sugar cookies. It's the perfect thing, really. We used to do the whole giant dinner with a ham and stuff, but I like the simple dinner. Who wants to cook all that stuff on Christmas day? I know I wouldn't. It's much more relaxing to just eat sandwiches and talk.

After dinner Me, Rachel, Trent and Amelia went to see the movie Nine. I didn't get it. But no Christmas day is complete without going to the movies. And that's about it.

So, all in all, it was a great Christmas. It was maybe a little bit over-complicated trying to see everyone, and I am sure we might simplify in the future, but I am glad that we were able to have a good time with everyone and no one had to feel left out or neglected. I love all my family, and Rachel's too, so I thank them all for making this Christmas everything that a Christmas should be.