I have been working with my dad on building a gift for Cambria. It's a wooden board that she can stand on that opens up to stretch her calves, which are tight from running. I stained it once it was done and it ended up looking really good. She said she loves it, and is using it often in front of the bathroom mirror. At times there aren't a lot of things I can work on with my dad because of school, and other things that make life busy. I had a great time with my dad, working late in the garage a few nights. the next thing we need to work on together is getting the go-kart finished. I'm looking forward to that time with him.
Christmas this year was with my family. The first activity was making gingerbread houses about a week before Christmas. My mom has all the grandkids over, and each gets their own house to work on. Cambria and I got one to work on together. I was way too focused on our house and probably should have helped my nieces and nephews. I guess with things like that I think I need to make the perfect house. It was really fun, however it was stressful for my mom this year. I felt really bad that it didn't go exactly how she had planned. She is too hard on herself at times but when one grandkid is complaining about how ugly their house is, and another is bored and another just wants to play on the computer and in the end nobody, not even her own children thank her for putting together the activity for the day, I can understand where she is coming from. I felt really bad when my dad told me how she felt, and sent her a text thanking her, but it was too late. I didn't say sorry, or even give her a hug before I left. She is the most amazing mom, and tries so hard. For the rest of the Christmas activities I made sure to thank her for what she did. She deserves so so much more.
Well, the Wednesday before Christmas we had a Christmas activity for the young men/young women's group. They played games and had deserts. I made some cookies that Cambria had liked the last time I made them. They weren't as great but still really good.
Friday night was Christmas Eve, and we spent that at my parents house as well. My mom did the regular traditions that we had all growing up, but does some of them for her grandkids now. We read the Christmas book that she buys a copy of for each family. We read the story of 'the meaning of Christmas' as the littler grandkids pulled little trees, bows and presents out of the stocking and read what each symbolizes for Christmas. Of course Mrs. Santa brought pajamas. The kids went running outside when they heard the sleigh bells ringing outside. I remember always running outside when I was young while trying to see the sleigh as it sped off into the night sky.
I then headed off to finish Cambria's gift. Payton had fun helping me bring it in and upstairs without Cambria seeing. It was actually done, I just wanted to burn a picture into the wood with my leather burner. I ended up choosing a picture of a rose, and it turned out looking really good. Then I wrapped it and left it there for the morning. We stayed at Monty and Linda's house since they are up in Alaska visiting Tyler and Mindy. It was nice to not have to drive all the way home just to come down again in the morning.
Christmas morning I ended up driving home anyway to get my mom's Christmas present while Cambria stayed home and made baked french toast. It wasn't a white Christmas at all this year, but there was quite a bit of frost on the ground. It was nice to wake up and just drive all alone on Christmas morning. I turned on the radio to some Christmas music and there weren't many people on the roads. There was a bit of fog, but as I left the Layton area, it cleared away, and there were just low clouds that were filled with swirled pockets of what looked like dust. It was actually very beautiful and added to the feel of the morning. There was a tiny shimmer of blue between the clouds and the mountains. I think the higher clouds were white and the lower clouds is where the browner dirty clouds were held in. There were holes where the whiter clouds poked down which made a spectacular view across the whole valley. As I headed up the hill into Ogden, the sky was so clear there, and I could almost see straight across the top of all the clouds. I have never had such a calm and relaxing Christmas morning. The drive back was just as great.
Once I got home, we loaded up and went over to my parents house. My mom had made our traditional German pancakes which I was looking forward to. Cambria brought her baked french toast, and all in all we had a great breakfast. We stayed there as my sister Emilee and my parents opened gifts. Cambria and I gave each other one gift each. I gave her her calf stretch board which she loved, and she gave me a surround sound system. I was so surprised, and hooked it up today. It sounds great! I don't know how the neighbors will feel about it, but I love it. Cambria was on call at her work and had to leave for awhile when a patient passed away. She said it was a very spiritual experience. As they helped prepare the body for the morticians to come, the husband was playing beautiful church hymns on the piano. He had been waiting for her to pass, and was happy she was no longer in pain. Cambria mentioned that there isn't a better day to leave this world and go home. While she was gone, I took a nap on the couch with Seth's dog Maverick at her parents house. I turned on the fireplace and slept for about a half hour.
When she got back, we went down to my family's Christmas party. It was with my Mom's side of the family, the Worthens. They use this activity room at what I think is an assisted living place in Kaysville. They had food, and the Wii set up for the kids. We did gift opening games, watched a movie, and sat around and talked while other people slept. My dad didn't feel good, and stayed home. It wasn't the same without him. He is always upbeat and makes you smile when he's around. I loved being with Cambria all weekend. I didn't mind her leaving when she was on call. She enjoyed the opportunity to do service, and I had the rest of the evening with her.
Once we left there we went to my parents with all my siblings to open gifts to each other. It was great. Kyle gave me some awesome power tools that cost a ton of money, but he got them for free with his connections as a construction worker. Afterward Cambria and I headed home to Ogden where we did our own Christmas that evening. I turned on the Christmas tree, and we sat down to exchange presents. I had such a fun time, and really enjoyed the time with just her after the craziness of other parties. I was surprised by every present, even one that I bought and forgot about after she wrapped it. I actually forgot about it twice and this was the second time I was surprised to see it.
There was one thing that tied the whole day together for me. I had said that I wanted a picture of Christ for our house. We weren't able to get a large one, so Cambria got a few medium size ones with frames that look amazing. The time she put into finding the right frames and right pictures of Christ to fit in them meant a lot to me. I realized that in all the rush of Christmas, I didn't really stop to think of my Savior. They were the last gifts I opened. I cried as I hugged my wife, and thanked her for how thoughtful she is. The next day was Sunday and I gave a lesson in Church that was about Christmas, Gratitude, and goal making. One of the questions I asked was: What did you do on Christmas day to remember your Savior? The boys didn't have any answers, and the other teacher said that he didn't even stop to think of Him either. I am grateful for such an amazing wife.
At the end of a long but fun day full of parties, it was nice to go to bed. I don't know of a better Christmas ever in my life. I love my wife so much, and being with her and with my family are the best memories I could ever make.
