Christmas Day 12/25 2014

It's going to be hard for me to write about Christmas this year. It was a very emotional day. I am so grateful for Callie and Jamie and her family for being here with us. I don't want to take away from the fun we had with the and the spirit of Christmas, so I am going to talk about the good stuff.

I love Christmas! I have always loved decorating and buying gifts. I am one who likes to get something I know someone likes, and steer away from gift cards as much as possible. I know they have their place and we do give them in some cases, but I want presents to open. I love to watch the kids open gifts instead of exchanging gift cards.
We always have fun shopping for the Grandkids and it seems easy. We make sure they are getting something they want, and that the kids around the same age, get similar gifts if not the same, so they can play together and have fun.
Our kids are harder to shop for so we do a draw with everyone and Jeff and I participate in that. We have had some fun exchange rules in the past, like one year we had to all make our gifts for each other. It was hard for some of us (the boys), but we did it, and it was so fun to see what everyone came up with. Some were gag gifts. We have done other themes as well, but that was the one I liked the best.
 We usually do something for the kids too. A family basket or a gift card or for dinner and tend so they have something from us. After reading this post before I published it, I realized it was really hard to shop this year after all. We had a hard time finding things, things we ordered fell through and some of our gifts were flops! Until I read this I didn't realize it all....

Here is poor Callie... stuck with us for the last several years all alone Christmas morning.
This year we struggled to find her gifts, with the help of her friends we ended up doing a few things we thought she would like. We knew she was needing money and so we tried to get creative with ways she could do some fun things, without worrying about the cost. In the end we failed miserably. She tried to be nice about it, but I could tell she was disappointed. The one thing we got that I was excited to surprise her with was this sweater thing. I had asked Ashlee to see what she liked when she was up North and they were shopping. Callie was trying to see what Ashlee liked and so when Ash asked Callie what she liked Callie told her the cutest thing she had seen, thinking it was for Ash. Ash called me and told me she had  found a cute sweater/poncho and would sneak back in and buy it if the price was ok. I said sure thinking it would be great. The minute Jeff and I saw it, neither one of us could believe she liked it, but we figured Ashlee knew more than us. When Callie opened it, it confirmed our hunch. She hated it and after a few minutes, we realized what had happened. It was kind of funny in a sad sort of way. If we wouldn't have been trying to surprise her, she could have chose things she liked for us to get her. Lesson learned. She was gracious and understanding, but it was kind of a bummer Christmas morning for her.

We invited George over for the day. He is alone and we try to include him in our family events. He doesn't always come, but he seemed excited this year. It was fun for him to watch the kids open gifts. He loved that part. He loves the kids and they love him. He said  he thought it was so fun, because he hasn't been with a family with kids for years.

She is ready for more gifts!

 I drew Jamie and she wanted a Shark floor cleaner. Really? That's another pet peeve of mine. You don't get practical things for gifts. I like to do something for the person. Not the house or job or something. This was the only thing she would tell me, and she kept saying that's what she wanted so I gave in.

 I hate this picture of Braxton is so dark, but it's the only one I have. Braxton and Kash really wanted nice hats this year. FOX baseball caps. We had them send us pictures of those they like and the style and then we went looking. Size wise it ended up being a big mess. We ordered some and they were too small. We looked on line and  couldn't find anything else. We went from store to store and found some, but it was either the wrong size or style or color. It was frustrating to say the least! Finally, we just had to send them some pictures and let them tell us a few they liked by what we could find, and then we chose from there. They were super excited about the hats when they opened and it and it was fun to see them happy and not disappointed. They have been very careful to take good care of them and they look pretty sharp in them!

Miss Braelei Boo is all girl! She was loving her presents, and the excitement

She was fun to shop for. We ordered  her a cute little back pack that was a nightmare  and I ended up  with a Christmas Eve trip to Walmart. I luckily found her a replacement for $1 if you can believe that. Then we filled it with a few cute things and she was thrilled. A few days later the backpack we ordered that they said wasn't coming, came in the mail. It was a better size for her and so we swapped it and she again was thrilled. I love it when a kid is too young to freak about things and just happy to have whatever.
 The new one was treasure to her, so that was all we cared about.

Brodeyn loved his excavator! We got one for him and Karver, knowing how much fun they would have together playing Christmas morning. That too ended up being hard to get two of. One was affordable, one was not. Guess in the end it didn't matter it all works itself out.

The boys were so excited to open their gifts from Lindsey's family!
They had so much fun on Thanksgiving playing with Grahm and Travis, they had really been wanting some Lego's of their own.

They were at the counter as fast as they could get there, and with the help of a lot of us they got their piece if equipment together.

I don't know who took this picture, but this is what it says to me.

#1 I'm fat   #2 I hate cooking  #3 We are one of those horrible hypocrites that say no buisness should be open, and make their employees work on holidays esp. Christmas, and then I go in and thankfully get a Pepsi.
So Christmas day with those around us was fun and happy, and I am so grateful for my family and our friends who we could share the day with.

Now this was the hardest part of Christmas this year:

Lindsey and her family couldn't come this year. I totally get it and understand it, but it was sad and we surely missed them. It's always been fun for all the cousins to open gifts together and for Jeff and I to have the kids around. I mean ALL our kids and all the grandkids. We Skyped with them and connected with them as best we could, but it wasn't the same and I felt the empty space more than once throughout the day and the holidays.
I could tell Kaden was upset with me the week before Christmas. I had no idea why, because I never know. Once he gets over it, he usually slowly comes around and we seem to get to a better place. He never tells me why, and I try to cut him slack because I know there are certain times throughout the year that are really hard for him. Early in December I helped him decorate the house and it was a nice evening. He didn't have a tree yet and didn't get that until later. He never even decorated it this year. I just don't understand him..
As Christmas grew closer I asked him if he needed help with Braelei's gift since that's who Karver drew. He just looked at me, so I let it go. On Christmas Eve day I sent him a text and told him when Hafens were coming for dinner and presents, and he never responded. He always goes with Stratton's for a Christmas Eve Party and we knew that. We started a tradition with the Huntsman's several years back to meet at Panda Express for Christmas Eve. It has turned out to be a lot of fun and we love them and so they are family to us.
After we went to Kadens to fill his stocking. I thought it would be fun for him, since he doesn't have anyone to do that for him. Jeff and I had thought of a few things we could put in there, that were "boy" things and so Callie and ran in and filled it while he was at Crystals.
I never in a million years dreamed he would not come to our house for Christmas. He hadn't came for Thanksgiving. When Michon was alive they always took turns eating with us and then Strattons. After she died, he came sometimes, but not often, but he has always come over for Christmas, at least for a little while. Last year he stayed the whole day, after he had gone to Strattons for while. So of course we were all disappointed and a little surprised he didn't come at all, or at least have the decency to let us know he wasn't coming. I spent a big part of the day trying to keep it all together, but once Jamie's family and Callie took off Jeff and I cried. It's so hard to not be hurt, and it just happens over and over again. Christmas just seemed like a huge stab in the heart and that's all there is to it.

A few days later when it was "Our Karver Day" as we call it, I brought him home, and after Preschool we let him open our gifts to him. We were going to make him wait until Kaden came and I'm glad we didn't. He was SO cute opening up his excavator. He just kept saying over and over again, "I love it"   We took some pictures and Jeff showed him how to work it. He was just as excited to open his gift from Grahm. Legos as well. He went right to work with Grandpa and they had his equipment done in no time.

 

I hate that he wasn't there on Christmas! I know he and Brodeyn would have had so much fun together!! I'm glad he was too young to put together the fact he didn't come here on Christmas day. I hope it never happens again!

That night Kaden came and Karver was so excited for him to open his presents from us. He went on and on as they worked on opening it. The Kaden was very rude and hurtful about the whole thing and after he left, we were a mix of hurt, sad and just plain mad!!

And that was Christmas 2014