Ode to my Family

I am thinking out loud tonight and wondering how I got here. It seems like a lifetime ago I was single and traveling the world. As I think back on the last couple of weeks I have a big smile on my face because I was lucky enough to spend it with CRW and the girls. I wouldn't trade anything for my life right now in the moment. I feel so blessed and happy to be where I am. Let me indulge myself for a moment. 

I flew in from SLC on Monday December the 15th, 2 1/2 hours behind schedule due to a storm. Church had been cancelled the day before and so had school the next day, Monday. CRW white knuckled picked me up and took me home slowly.  School was then cancelled Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and you guessed it Friday. On Saturday I decided to get the kids out of the house because we had not left since Monday. I loaded up the van and went out. Half way out my driveway I thought you better just go back and stay inside. PeiWei was out of formula and needed more Motrin for the ear ache she got on the flight home, so I made it to Albertson's and turned right back around. In that half hour I realized why the Lord wants us to have food storage and be prepared.

On day 9 of the storm and everything being shut down we had friends walk to our house and have lunch and a photo shoot for their family. We had a blast! It was so weird to not hear or see cars on the road. I told my friend I was running out of food for PeiWei and hadn't gotten to my Christmas shopping yet because I was waiting to get back from my trip to SLC. We explained rain checks to the kids and told them we hadn't bought Christmas presents yet and they would have to wait until the snow melted and we could get out. Our friends bought chains for their car and we went out that night after I got the girls down for the night. Our county was at mandatory chains and only leave if necessary. We left on the 22nd of December cutting it a little to close to Christmas. 

On the 23rd I told the kids to go out side and build a snowman. They were out there for hours. They had no snow boots no decent gloves and no snow pants. They were bright red when they came in. CRW's  work was shut down due to the storm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday due to Christmas. We loaded up the van yesterday and left the house for the first time since the snow hit. You would think that many days being together we would have killed each other. However, we had a great time. The kids were the best and it was so neat to have LuLu look at the tree and lack of presents and say :"It's OK Mom that we don't have any presents because that is not what Christmas is about." Then the joy that came over them when they went down to turn the tree lights on and explained: "There are presents under the tree!!" They were so thankful when I told them my friend had taken me out late Monday night to do the shopping.

I am very glad that my children understand the true meaning of Christmas. Before they knew of hidden, wrapped presents they said "This is the best Christmas ever because we have been inside together for so long." Our winter break has turned into three weeks of fun. I will say after 13 days inside it was great to get out and about. On Christmas Eve both girls said in their prayers "Heavenly Father thank you for sending your son here to this earth, thank you for letting him die for our sins." Out of the mouths of babes. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

R-