A Busy, Fun, Crazy Christmas! (and a Happy New Year, too!)

I've been trying to find time to sit down and write about Christmas for several days now! I actually started this entry on New Year's Eve. The last week has been so busy, I'm way behind on writing about it all. I had hoped to do it before 2007 was over! But hey, better late than never, right? =)

This year we stayed here in Utah County and celebrated Christmas at my parents' home in Spanish Fork, which is only about 20 minutes south of our house. I was very excited because all four of my brothers were able to be here for it. My second oldest brother Zane and sister-in-law Amber were real troopers to come all the way from Montana with a new baby who was only 2 weeks old! We were so excited to see them and so glad they were able to come. Baby Dalin is adorable and I had so much fun holding such a tiny, new little baby (I want one too!). There are now a total of 6 cousins in my family, so it was really fun to have a bunch of little kids so excited about Santa Claus and helping to bring back the childhood wonder of Christmas!

On Christmas Eve we had a special dinner of Taco Soup (a family favorite) and several Brazilian dishes made by my brother Travis, who returned from his mission to Brazil in March of this year. He made us traditional Brazilian rice & beans, a fabulous roast beef/potato dish and some other good stuff whose names I can't remember. He's been wanting to make a Brazilian meal for the family for some time and it was delicious! I also spent the night gorging myself with my absolute favorite Christmas treat: my mom's famous, fabulous, yummy sugar cookies! I can't eat enough of those things! (And funny thing, I prefer them unfrosted. I asked my mom to leave a bunch plain for me. I know, I'm weird!) We read the Christmas story together as a family, which has been a tradition for as long as I can remember, and which I have come to love! Later in the evening we watched the classic Christmas movie, "It's a Wonderful Life." Ryan and I honestly don't remember if we ever saw this movie growing up, and a few months ago a friend found this out and lent it to us.I watched it several weeks before Christmas and fell in love with it! So I went out and bought it (in color!) and insisted we all watch it on Christmas Eve. It was fun to enjoy it together with my family, who also hadn't seen it in a really long time, if at all. The story is a great reminder to be grateful for all the blessings in life, despite the trials that may come along!

During the movie I was finishing wrapping gifts and getting things arranged for the next morning. After the movie ended it was quite late and everyone shot straight off to bed. I dilly-dallied for awhile and eventually ended up being the last one up. I loved it! I turned out the lights and sat in the living room, in the quiet, looking out at the softly falling snow (which I was SO thrilled about! Perfect for Christmas Eve!). I admired the Christmas tree all lit up, filling the room with a golden glow. The giant pile of wrapped gifts under the tree was so lovely, it was almost a shame to think it would all be gone in the morning! But I was excited to see how thrilled all the kids would be when they saw what Santa brought them.

We stayed overnight at the house just for Christmas Eve, so we could be there for all the early-morning excitement. It was a crazy morning of course! My oldest brother woke us up at about 7 am, saying he couldn't hold his kids off any longer (I was impressed he had held them off that long!). Thomas woke up just about the same time, so we got the video camera all ready and got him all psyched up. We led him into the living room, which was absolute chaos!!! It was fun watching all the kids go nuts over their stuff...there was so much stuff it took them awhile to figure out whose was whose! Thomas was finally able to make his way through everyone and found that Santa had left him an adorable rocking horse! He hopped on it right away, and probably would have been happy with just that! Between Santa and Mom & Dad, he was pretty spoiled this year. Santa had also brought him a stuffed Elmo, some books and a cool toy drum. Our main gift to Thomas was an awesome kid-sized chair with his name embroidered on the slipcover...he was pretty excited about that too! He loves sitting in his own special little chair. We also got him his first suit coat, a little blow-up sled and some more books. It was an eventful morning and it took a long time for everyone to open all their gifts!

Ryan's gift to me was a beautiful painting of the Savior which I really love. The painting shows Jesus walking along the sea, looking lost in thought. It almost looks as if he may be sad. It really makes me reflect on the passage in Isaiah that says he was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief...Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." He suffered much sadness in His life, but he did it willingly and lovingly, for me, and for each of us. He lived His life and gave His life for us. This picture reminds me of all He has given for me, sacrificed for me, and how much love he has for me. It was a perfect gift to remind me of the true meaning of Christmas day.

After all the gift-opening we had a breakfast of Hootenany pancakes (another traditional family favorite, similar to french toast, and which I have no idea how to spell!) some of us decided to get ready and go sledding! Ryan and my brother Travis ran back to our house to get our four-wheeler and then a bunch of us drove up into the hills west of Payson. It was fun watching the older guys do crazy stunts going down this huge hill, but even more fun pulling my little guy around in his new sled! Thomas really liked it, but to be honest, he preferred riding on the four-wheeler to everything else. A true Laidlaw man-in-the-making! It was a great way to work up an appetite. We went back to the house and got cleaned up for a fabulous Christmas dinner of Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and tons more good stuff! We spent the rest of the night visiting and hanging out, playing games and watching movies. It was a wonderful, fun day and I was so grateful to be together with all of my family on Christmas day!

The whole next week was just as eventful and busy! The boys and girls took turns watching the kids on different days so we could all have a chance to get out. The girls went shopping and to a movie, "P.S. I Love You," which was fantastic and my new favorite film! (It has nothing to do with the fact that Gerard Butler is in it. *wink wink*) The boys took a day and went skiing at Sundance. A bunch of us also went to the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy and then up to Salt Lake City to have dinner and see the lights on Temple Square (which was fun, but COLD!). The Saturday after Christmas we went to my cousin's lovely new home in Lehi where we had the big Kotter Family Christmas party. I look forward to this party/family reunion every year, but I was especially excited because we have missed the last two. It was wonderful to see my grandparents and most of my uncles, aunts & cousins!

We spent New Year's Eve at my parent's house, where we just hung out, ate snacks and watched Pirates of the Caribbean 3 (which, sadly, we didn't particularly love!) It was pretty laid back and I guess a little anti-climactic, but I did get a nice kiss from a handsome man at midnight! I think next year I'd like to party it up a bit more on Dec. 31st...Ryan and I have determined we are going to throw an awesome New Year's party at our new house!

I have been sad to say goodbye to my older brothers and their families as they've left over the last week, but it was a wonderful Christmas holiday. I am so very grateful to have a big, loving family! I am excited too, because Christmas isn't over! Ryan's family is all coming into town this weekend for a late Christmas celebration together and to go to Ryan's grandfather's 80th birthday party in Salt Lake City. It will be a lot of fun! I have great in-laws and am excited to have the opportunity to share Christmas with them too. I'm so grateful to have TWO big, loving families! =)