Christmas 2014

We spent Christmas in Utah this year. Olivia was praying for snow, low and behold we woke up Christmas morning to snow. It was beautiful. Coming from Arizona made me appreciate the snow, the cold, the mountains and all the beauty even more.

Kale and I drove to Utah on Monday. I psyched myself up to drive the 663 miles alone. Of course Kale was with me, but I was the lone driver. (Garrett flew in Christmas eve morning.) Thankfully the drive it went smoothly. We stopped in Kingman and ate our peanut-butter sandwiches outside in the sun. Kale walked about in the dirt and pointed and birds and dogs. He started crying a little bit after we left Vegas. The stretch from Vegas is St. George was not fun. Maybe because I had in my mind that is was a shorter distance. After only about ten minutes of tears I found his pacifier and he went to sleep. He slept till Cedar City. Which was perfect because I needed gas. We got our first blast of cold in Cedar City. We ate dollar tacos from Del Taco in the children's play place. I thought Kale could play, but he was just interested in being with me. We made it 11 hours.

My mom had each of us be in charge of a day. We would write the daily schedule on the white board. The day, obviously, did not go exactly as scheduled, but having some plan was better than nothing. So, lesson and goal for the new year, have a daily plan. Be flexible. But in having a plan you always accomplish more than without a plan.

On the day Josephine planned she had "family run". Jo runs everyday! She is diligent. The "family run" turned into Olivia riding her bike with me on a short run, and Jo finishing a longer run. While Tom and Aaron played pickle ball and mom and Claire picked up walnuts for a neighbor.

We played pickle ball, badminton and volleyball a few of the mornings. (It is nice having keys to the church gym.) Kale was pulling on his shirt in the gym. Tom interpreted that as meaning he was too hot and wanted his shirt off. Off Kale's shirt went and he was the little bare belly boy, running around with a racket.

We went sledding and the snow was so power fresh we were white washed each time we went down. On the same day we drove to Sandy to hike to the star. There is a man who puts up a star and hikes up each evening in December to light it. We have done it before. Parts of it are quite steep. We must have forgotten because we took Kale with us. Garrett held him in one arm, and pulled them up with a hiking stick in the other hand. Jo and Jessica were on their hands and knees. We decided it was best if we went back down with Kale. Everyone said it was the best time yet. They said coming down was so fun. They said you basically just slid down. A few years ago it was that way too. Garrett, Kale and I went to my aunt Marie's to wait for everyone else. She lives just down form the star. She fed us amazing oranges. It was fun to visit. It is always fun for me to visit one on one, or in smaller groups. We always get together with family, but there are so many people it is hard to get to catch up with everyone.

We spent one night in Heber with my grandparents, for that same reason of having a more intimate setting. Garrett went to bed early, he was not feeling well. Jo, Claire, Grandma and I stayed up and watched "What About Bob". It was Claire's first time seeing it. Jo and I laughed a lot. We did a snow hike in the morning, up Smith's hill and around where grandpa lead us on the way down.

Actual Christmas was a regular Christmas morning at the Kelemen's. Kale got fun puzzles and enjoyed the hubbub. The morning seemed short, we skyped with Kate (in the Spain MTC) and Julia (in Argentina). Kate loves the MTC and being a missionary. Her stories, just like her letters are hilarious. She says she has done so many embarrassing things, that talking to people in the park is not difficult for her. Even when she tired to give someone a pamphlet in Italian, and she did not know they were saying in Spanish they could not read it. She just laughed about it later. Julia only have six more weeks. I am excited to have her home. Even though she said she is made for the mission, getting up early, working, working, working. Side note on Julia. Recently we found something she wrote in fourth grade. It asked what some of her favorite things were. She wrote getting up early to practice the piano, work, working with her mom. No joke. Like I said I am excited to have her home. With two sisters gone it was odd. You would think having three sisters at home for Christmas would be enough. But they were missed. Julia has also never met Kale. He was born about a week before she left to Argentina. I am excited for them to be acquainted.

Back to Christmas...we went to Heber for lunch/dinner. Garrett's parents and Megan joined my family. It was fun to have them. The Sens came to Utah for Christmas and spent it with Megan. We spent the 26th with them. Kale had Christmas 2.0 with lots more gifts to open.

For Christmas eve my mom asked each of us to share a favorite story or parable of Christ. That evening after reading the Christmas story, from Luke and Mark we shared our thoughts. I wish I had noted each one. It was a nice evening. It was good to be able to reflect and share about the Savior. I like feeling "Christ"mas-y during Christmas.

It was a very merry Christmas and New Year. I am always grateful for family and friends.