Merry Christmas

12.25.2014

Merry Christmas!!

Our Christmas was wonderful.  

We had a few twists and turns, but all in all, it really was great.

Let's start with Christmas Eve....

I have high expectations for Christmas Eve.  I grew up in a very traditional family.  We had a very traditional Christmas year after year.  Christmas Eve was always one of my favorites.   I have learned to deal with change and welcome it with open arms, but I still love all our traditions.

This year we planned on going up to the Cisneros house on Christmas Eve and spend the night.  

We got up there around 5:30.  Cam had to run a few errands.  When he got back, we were planning on going to his Grandparents for dinner.  We weren't thrilled about it (we really wanted Chinese food.  We started that tradition a few years ago, and I like it), but we planned on going with smiles on our faces!  We were going to drive separate cars.  Cam came out the back door, jumped off the patio, missed his step, and hit the ground.  Hard.  I actually missed this..... I was getting the girls in the truck.  His parents saw it, but thought he was kidding, they drove off.  Typical Cam.  Well, he wasn't kidding.  He came over to  the truck and told me I would need to drive.  He then layed down on the cold cement....  He was fading and was in a lot of pain.  I went in and grabbed a wet towel, and put his feet up.  We decided we need to go to the Dr.  The plan was to find an instacare, which we did, and it was closed.  So the ER it was.

We went in and did the whole waiting game.  Cam was in a lot of a pain.  I felt really bad for him.   I felt bad for the girls (missing out on Christmas Eve), and I'll be honest, I felt bad for myself (it is Christmas Eve for crying out loud), but realized I needed to focus on Cam and make the best of the situation.  So I did.  

Cam was super nauseous.  They gave him some medicine and crackers.  The girls were starving, so they were eating all his crackers.  It made me laugh.

We took selfies and played " I spyed" to entertain ourselves.  I had called Ruth to come and get the girls.  They were getting bored and hungry.

They took Cam for some X-rays.

Here is the bulge.  I for sure thought it was broken.  I was wrong.  He had dislocated his shoulder.  They planned on setting it back.  That was hard to watch.  All of it was hard to watch.  Cam is super tough and can put up with a lot of pain.  So watching him go through that broke my heart.  Poor guy.  We were told to keep in in a sling, and schedule with an orthopedic surgeon in a week to re-evaulate.  There was too much swelling to know if there was further damage.  I will keep the blog updated.

Yay!  We were finally able to leave.  Cam was still pretty nauseous and in pain, so I wheeled him out.

He was so extremely thrilled.

 We went to get his prescription filled.  We were both starving at this point, so we drove through a McDonalds drive through and got a hamburger and coke.  I then proceeded to spill my coke all over the back seat.  The night just kept getting better and better.

We finally got back to Mel & Ruth's around 10:30.   The girls were glad to see us.  We had told them to go get Happy Meals.  The McDonalds by their house was closed, so they had hotdogs and taquitos from the 7-11.  Not ideal, but again, we did the best with what we had!
We were finally able to open Christmas PJ's, a gift from Charlie (the elf), read the Christmas Story (Luke 2), sing the Nativity song and read "The night before Christmas"!  We left some fudge for Santa and off to bed!

The girls fell asleep fast.  We went in to check on them and found them cuddled together.  It was then that my emotions got the better of me.  Their Christmas Eve was rocked upside down.  It was not ideal at all.  But these two never once complained (well, maybe that they were hungry).  I love them to the moon and back.  It was then I realized.. We did not need any of those presents or christmas eve pjs, fudge for Santa, or christmas stories.  I was so glad we were out of the ER, that cam was home, and he was ok.  I was so thankful for our girls and their good attitudes.  Their love for each other. I was so overwhelmed with love for them and Cam.  I didn't care about anything else at that moment.  I was just thankful.

Santa came and spoiled the girls.  (I was super spoiled too.  That Santa knows me so well :)  Just how it should be.
Cam and I went to bed.  It was a very restless night.
The girls slept in until 8:30!  It was nice to sleep for a little bit.

Christmas morning met all our expectations.  The girls loved everything they got!  The morning flew by.  It was fun to watch them and take it all in.

Ruthie getting the traditional trifle ready.

Christmas afternoon.  All the family came over.  The kids played.  We exchanged gifts and ate tons of food, played games and ate more food.

We woke up to soon much snow.  It was a Christmas Miracle and very beautiful.

Christmas came and went.  Would I have changed Christmas Eve?  You bet!!  But we survived it.  Cam barely did.  I really hope he starts feeling better soon.  It definitely put a damper on his Christmas, but you wouldn't know it.   I know it hurts as I watch him, but he's pretty tough.
It was so fun watching Christmas through the girls eyes.  There is so much magic in Christmas!
We have been very blessed this year.  I am thankful for all we have!

We did a "secret santa" for a family in our ward this year.  The girls gave up their sister exchange in order to buy presents for another family.  It was hard for them to walk through Toys r Us and not buy for themselves.  But when we dropped off the presents and hid to watch them at the front door, it was all worth it.  The little kids were jumping up and down.  Sage said to us, "I just want to cry happy tears for them."

  I love the decorations, the presents, the hustle and bustle of Christmas.  I love it.
But I love our Savior more and his sacrifice for us!  He truly is The Gift.  We have been so blessed.  I am so thankful for the Gospel in our life.  Without it, we'd have nothing.