A Very Merry Christmas

We got to meet Adrienne and Jon in Coeur d'Alene in October for a few days.  It was so fun to see how much Melanie had grown!  While there Adrienne and Jon invited us to come to Seattle for Christmas.  We were so excited!

As the weeks passed, I started getting very anxious about travelling during the holidays. I would wake up in the middle of the night obsessing about the trip, so in November I decided for my own mental health, we would not go. I mentioned this to the kiddos and they were heartbroken, and just like that, the trip was back on!  I still felt great anxiety. Lately I have noticed that for my own sanity I need to keep things simple, whether it is meals, schedules or my own wardrobe.  My mind could not process the shuttle down to Salt Lake, all the things that entail the flight to Seattle, finding our luggage, getting the car rental and then finding Adrienne's place.  These are not really hard things, but to my fragile mind all together they seemed impossible.

Adrienne told me it was okay if we couldn't make it, but I was not about to let my own insecurities ruin the opportunity to spend precious time with my family.  She made the reservations and we were all set.  I read up on baggage and learned it costs extra to check luggage. So we found our smallest rolling suitcases and each of us took a backpack.  I was so worried about the size of our luggage for carry-ons.  A few days before we left I posted to Facebook for advice on air travel and my friends and family really came through. I felt calmed by all the wonderful advice.

The morning came to leave and Salt Lake Express picked us up at the house at 6am, such a nice service they offer here in Rexburg.  Our ride was long but pretty uneventful.  The Salt Lake airport was not nearly as busy as I thought it would be.  I easily found the kiosk to print up our tickets and off we went to security which only took up about 15 minutes.  We found our gate and I took a deep breath!  

Our flight was pretty smooth. Joseph loved it but Annalina did not. But no one got sick, so that was good!  We each watched a different movie and before long we were landing.  Adrienne, Jon and Melanie met us and drove us back to their place so I never had to worry about a rental car and finding my way around.  What a blessing that was.

My mom and sister Megan and her kiddlets were waiting at Adrienne's place and we went to dinner at Red Robin.  They had to head back that night so the visit was short, but it was so good to see them all.

Adrienne was a wonderful hostess.  She took such good care of us!  One of the greatest blessings of being a Grandma is watching my daughter be a mother.  She is an amazing mother and wife and I am so proud of her.  The relationship she has with sweet Melanie is inspiring.  That baby is so loved!!  We had fun on Christmas Eve playing with Melanie. Jon shared his 3D headset with the kids and they loved it. I even tried it!  Fun!  We played and laughed.  It was great to watch the kids interact with Adrienne, Jon and Melanie.

On Christmas morning we got up and went to church with Melanie and Adrienne.  Adrienne was part of the Christmas program and it was so much fun to be there with her.  Melanie stayed with us the entire time and didn't cry at all(she ate a lot of banana puffs).  I call it the great Christmas miracle of 2016.  She even snuggled with me a few times!  We got to meet some of Adrienne's ward members and the sister missionaries she has become close with since she is a ward missionary.  It was a really neat experience!

We got home and went outside to take some Christmas morning photos. I will share them below.  Then it was time for gifts.  Adrienne had stockings for each of us.  She had made a French toast casserole that was amazing.  We played games together and then enjoyed a wonderful dinner of Italian stuffed flank steak with bacon wrapped asparagus and deviled eggs and pumpkin pie for dessert. We had a great time watching Melanie with her new gifts. I have to say, that little baby has so much personality!  There is never a dull moment with Melanie! She is about 8 months and is crawling, has several teeth and can pull herself up on just about anything.  She will be walking soon, I am sure. She loves peek a boo and shakes her head no when you nod your head yes to her.  She loves to eat, she drinks from a regular cup, she is an amazing baby. We love her so much!

The day after Christmas we went to the Botanical Gardens with Adrienne and Melanie and enjoyed the beauty of the Northwest.  Every time I went outside it smelled so great.  Adrienne and Jon have a wonderful apartment that backs up to a forest and park area.  The location is beautiful and peaceful.  I am so happy for them. I miss the Northwest!

It was a glorious few days of memory making with my most precious people!

I am sharing this story in part to help me remember I can do hard things.  I cannot let my anxiety keep me from the most important things in this life.  Seeing my daughter and her family was worth all the unnecessary worry.  They are so precious to me and to think I almost didn't get to experience Christmas with them!  We are truly grateful that they opened their home to us at such a special time!