Originally we had planned to go up to Idaho Falls the week before Christmas and be home in time for Christmas Eve and Christmas day at our own home with our own traditions. Well gall-darn-it the best laid plans always go awry. When we were supposed to go to Idaho Falls Ellie came down with the worst fever/flu. Much of the time she was floppy and listless. I didn't want to bring her up to IF just to get everyone else sick and then spend all the time in the back room in bed. So we stayed at home and hoped her fever would break in time for us to see Darik's brother Travis before he went back to Portland on Christmas day. So as soon as Ellie's fever broke - it was the 22nd. Either we go up for less than two days or we stay up there for Christmas. So at the last moment we decide to have Christmas up in Idaho Falls, but . . . I hate packing up Christmas . . . so I took a little time just to decide which few things to bring up and which to leave for a "Second Christmas" at home when we get back. We figured out and boy were we glad to see our cousins and to play and play and play as soon as we got there :-).
For Christmas Eve we took family pictures and then we did our Nativity and Luke 2 reading that night. Baby JD was quite the perfect baby jesus. Ellie was a beautiful angel with Grandpa shepherd. And boy don't we miss our cousins Landon & Jadyn.
That night we put all the kids down to sleep downstairs so we could do Christmas upstairs. Here's the thing - Ellie had figured out how to "OUT-TRICK santa". Because we would just tell her that the rule is Santa WON'T come if you're awake. So her idea is to have him come while she is sleeping - THEN wake up while he is putting the presents out, run out and make sure to give him a hug. Soooo . . . it's Christmas morning and our kids are sleeping in for a long time . . . finally we decide to wake them up.
Darik wakes Ellie up and
She says, "Did he come?"
Darik, "Who?"
Ellie, "Santa!"
Darik, "Yes, he came and there's presents!!!"
Ellie, "But he didn't give me a hug!!!"
Tears.
So we walk out to the living room for what is supposed to be the happiest morning of the year, and . . . More Tears. Wow. So we would give her some presents and she'd open them just fine and then she would tear up a little bit and be sad . . . and then be happy about one present . . . and we go through the whole thing all over again.
The last night there before heading home . . . we were able to bust out that magic genie back massage thing . . . Here are cute little pics of Ellie getting her back massaged.
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