Christmas 2008

We had a great Christmas...four times! If you make it to the end of this blog you'll hear how my heart handled Christmas this year.

On Tuesday, the 23rd, we drove to Dallas, Oregon to spend Christmas with my mom and Nels. Tuesday was a rough day of travel, due to the winter storm, and we ended up staying in Gresham for the night to catch the BSU game and relax. The skid plate on the 4runner also was bent so we couldn't go any further until we removed it. We had fun at the hotel, walking to Burger King, watching the game (although BSU lost...grr), and just relaxing. We woke up Wednesday morning and Tyler went to the 4runner and laid in the snow to take the skid plate off...what a guy! We spent a few days with my mom and Nels were we did Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Nels' kids and Christmas with my mom's side of the family. It was really a lot of fun! My new brothers and sisters are so nice and my new nieces and nephews are adorable and very funny! Time with my mom's side of the family was fun, there are new babies and they are too cute. Everyone is doing pretty well, and we all enjoyed our time together.

On Saturday Tyler and I headed up to Lake Oswego to spend some time with my dad and his wife, Susan. Yes, you read correctly, I spent time at my dad's house. WHAT A BLESSING! Being about to spend time with both my mom and dad was wonderful. It is the first time I have been able to do this and I look forward to doing it from now on. I am so thankful to have my dad in my life again, every girl needs a dad! They took us to a really nice dinner, it was a very nice time!

On Tuesday, December 30th, Tyler and I did our Christmas together. It was so fun! He did an amazing job with my presents, especially my stocking. I would have picked everything that he put in there...it was such a treat! It was so nice to spend time just the two of us. I am so thankful for Tyler and the wisdom and levelheadedness he brings to some of the chaotic moments in my life.

On New Year's Eve and New Years we did Christmas Eve and Christmas with Tyler's family. His brother flew out from South Carolina and we spent most nights that week staying up late watching movies, playing games, etc. I lost at Monopoly and Yahtzee...which doesn't happen very often! We had a wonderful Christmas dinner and spent over an hour opening gifts and stockings. We went sledding up on the mountain with his family also, which is always a good time.

If you are still reading, here is the part I have really been looking forward to sharing with you. The holidays are always a weird time of year for me. While I look forward to going home and seeing family it isn't the feeling of utter joy. In the past I have had a lot of painful holidays and there is still uncertainty weather "this year" will be a dramatic year or not. Luckily, this year was not. That was such a blessing. At the same time, it was fairly emotional for me. I really noticed that I long for stability during the holidays. I have had so many holidays without traditions or with some traditions ending. I shared with Tyler my longing for stability, and he understood. He was so helpful in coming up with ways we can create traditions and give our children the joy of the holidays that Tyler grew up with and still enjoys with his family. I am not saying that my family isn't a good time, but I am noticing the effects of not having both parents, together, to share the holidays with. I am really looking forward to creating traditions with Tyler. I am amazed at his understanding for my feelings. I have really been affected by my family's past more now than I thought I would. I can't imagine working through these feelings without the Lord, and I am so thankful that He has given me a Godly man to be here with me.

I hope that you all enjoyed your holidays and that you created traditions of your own. I have been thinking of all of you lately and I hope you are blessed in 2009. I am so excited for 2009...it is the first year that I will have my truly joyful spirit year-round. Yay!