Our Christmas started out great . . . we were able to organize a Christmas for a family in our ward with gifts, money, and food (with the generous help of friends in the ward.) We live in the complex right next to them so we dropped it all off, drove back home, then rang the bell and watched from behind our fence. It was an amazing experience and truly helped su get into the Christmas spirit!
Ready to make the drop off
We had our Christmas a few days early . . . Cole called Santa to tell him to come early -before we left to Salem to be with family. We had fun and we had a big
SuRPriSe too. . .so here is the story of the Big Screen TV.
At the ward Christmas Party Macie got in line with her friends to sit on Santa's lap and we watched from afar. We didn't know what she was going to ask for because she had never said. So while Macie was on Santa's lap Santa looks over at Cole with wide eyes and Cole just nods thinking she'd ask for a doll or something. So when she got off Santa's lap we asked her what she asked for and she said "A big flat screen tv!" Gulp - no way are we going to get a new tv! I asked her what Santa said and she said that he just laughed! (You see, Cole and Macie were talking one day about what they wanted for Christmas and Cole said that he wanted a big screen tv.) So for the next few days I was trying to diffuse her excitement about getting a tv saying that Santa knows that our house is too small etc . . . Christmas Eve Macie told Cole "Santa's going to have to use a lot of wrapping paper for the big screen tv!" When I was wrapping presents that night I told Cole I hoped that we wouldn't have big tears on Christmas morning from Macie's disappointment. He said that Santa would write a note to her explaining why he couldn't bring it this year.
So Christmas morning there wasn't any big screen tv and she didn't even seem that disappointed - what a relief. But Santa did bring her a nice Journal & watch and Dominic a football. After we opened presents Cole had her read a note from Santa telling her that a big screen tv was too big for the sleigh, but to check in the closet. And what did we find . . . A Big Screen TV!
Little did I know that a few days earlier Cole had finally been reimbursed for his Research trip to New Orleans 9 months ago . . . we just quit counting on the money to come. Once he got out of school for vacation he faked getting a page that his patient's tenporary crown had broke and that he had to go in to the schoolto fix it . . . he was mad and everything. I totally bought his story, but he was actually gone shopping to get the tv and then hid it at the neighbors house! He's such a good liar and he also surprised me with a new video camera!!
We spent the next 10 days in Salem hanging with both of our families. We had lots of parties, went caroling at a nursing home, made gingerbread house, went bowling, watched lots of football, Cole played lots of football and we had a grand ol' time and were sad to come home to normal life!
Happy New Year everyone!!
