This year, for Christmas, we decided to do a small Christmas for our own family so that we could sponsor a family for Sub 4 Santa. I have wanted to do this for a long time, because I have grown tired of buying things that end up lost or broken or forgotten about after just a few weeks. Plus, no matter how many presents our kids receive, they always seem to get upset when there are no more presents. It's so easy to get caught up in the gifts, that I felt like Christmas was being wasted.
So, I applied for a family with three kids--a teenage boy, a girl between 8-10, and a boy between 4-6. We were matched with a family in Spanish Fork, and we were able to provide a really nice Christmas for them, None of the kids had a winter coat or snow boots, and it was really great to be able to feel like we were making a difference to this family.
For our own family, they still got plenty. Besides their stocking filled, they got one big gift from Santa and one gift from Jeff and me. They also drew names and bought each other a gift. And it worked out well. They knew exactly what to expect, they weren't disappointed when the gifts were done, and they were very grateful for the things they did get. I loved it, and I hope we do something like that every year.
Jeff and I also had decided not to really get each other for Christmas. Or so I thought. Jeff bought me an Ohio State duffel bag, which was a little out of left field, but very nice of him. He has given me practical gifts in the past (like a sleeping bag when we were first married), and so I just assumed he was being practical again. And I do love the Buckeyes.
Fast forward to New Year's Eve--we hosted a party for the Trapnells at our house, and it wrapped up around 10:30. Jeff gathered the kids into our room, and asked me why I thought he had bought me the duffel bag. I had no clue what he was getting at. Finally, he had to come out and say it. Not only had he bought me a duffel bag, he had also planned a trip for us to fly to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl, featuring Ohio State and Notre Dame. And we needed to be ready to go at 5 am the next morning.
I was completely shocked! He had made arrangements for the kids to stay with Tom and GayLynn in Payson, and while he was dropping them off, I started packing for us. I could barely sleep that night, i was so excited! The only thing holding me back was finding someone to teach YW for me on Sunday, but once that was taken care of, I was care free and so happy!
We went straight from the airport to the game, and we sat in the middle of a bunch of Notre Dame fans while we watched the Buckeyes win handily.
It was amazing! Probably my favorite memory from the whole game was after it was over, and we walked over to the Ohio State side. The team was on the field, receiving their trophy and saying good-bye to the seniors (who won a record 50 games in their four years). Then, along with all the fans that had come to cheer them on, the band played Carmen, Ohio and we sang along.
I love how sports bond people together. I probably have very few things in common with lots of those Buckeye fans there that day. We come from different worlds. But we were united together, spelling out OHIO, while we sang the song. It brought tears to my eyes, and chills to my body. It was a moment I won't forget.
I also had the chance to surprise Heather at her house and got to meet my little nephew, Luke! It was so fun to see them.
Jeff got to try out Lana's new home salon and she gave him a much needed haircut (look at all that hair on the floor!). We had so much fun staying with friends and getting to spend time with them.
It just so happened that Cinematic Pop had a concert Saturday night, and we got to sit on the third row and hear some amazing music. Rob, Drex and McKane have done a great job, and we felt really lucky to get to be a part of it.
Jeff was amazing, and really outdid himself. I'm not sure anything will be able to top this Christmas/New Years! What a great way to start 2016. I am a lucky girl.
No comments:
Post a Comment