Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2009...

This year, we spent Christmas with Paul's family. It only took me a Christmas or two with this great family before I caught on. Now I know exactly what will happen and pretty much when... because it is always the same. Tradition is what Christmas is all about here... and I love it. And it is fun to share it with my kids as they get older.

(photo by Libby)

The itinerary is always as follows:

Christmas Eve...

Morning and afternoon:

• Big breakfast, altogether. By Grandpatty Extraordinaire.
  
• Break off to individually run last-minute Christmas errands (there are ALWAYS last-minute Christmas errands...).
  
• Reconvene for an out-of-the-house family activity (decided and planned by the father of the house) while the mother of the house is given full discretion to be in the house and finish preparations without any disturbance or demands. :)

This year's activity: Sledding!! And the awesome sledding hill in our neighborhood was the chosen spot for this family activity tradition. We met up at our house, bundled up for the snow, then came back for hot cocoa. So fun!

This was the setting:

(photo by Libby)

Here is the sledding:

(photo by Libby)

(photo by Libby)

Ella was content to stay in her mamma's arms most of the time. She loved watching all the action, but wasn't so sure about the snow.


Abby mostly loved to eat the snow, and enjoyed going down the hill with her uncles and aunts.


Bekah was our snow dare-devil. She loved going fast and furious down the steep hill again and again and again.


Michael had his perfect spot where he perfected his technique. He loved trying to make his sled jump a bit.

(photo by Libby)

Uncle Stevie showed us how New Yorkers enjoy their Hot Cocoa.

Late afternoon/early evening:

• Caroling. This activity is often the subject of debate and distress, but has often been a highlight of my Christmas experience. Music is such an integral part of Christmas for me, and being able to share it with others just captures the Spirit of Christmas. A few people (friends/neighbors, home/visiting teachees, or extended family members) answer their door to find the Frandsen family on their doorstep singing a Christmas song with some concoction of instruments.
• Home to a traditional meal of clam chowder by candelight. MMMmmmmm... This year, the kiddos ate a quick meal and the *nice* dinner was postponed until they were all snug in their beds so the parents could enjoy. :)
• A reenactment of the nativity scene. Everyone scatters to rummage up suitable costumes and reconvenes in the front room as Paul's dad reads the scriptural account. It might or might not invite the true spirit of Christmas, but it is fun. (This year the list of characters even included the Wicked King Herod--by el Steve-O himself.)

(photo taken by Libby)

Bekah was an Angel...

...as was Abby.

Michael? A Wise Man

Paul and I (Joseph and Mary) managed a very squirmy Baby Jesus (Ella), who was content as long as she had her blanky.

Our little family.

• Opening of the traditional Christmas Eve presents from Paul's parents. As always, we were super-surprised to have pajamas and a book! Paul's mom has been making family t-shirts for the past few years... our kiddos especially love picking out everyone's cartooned face and their BYU gear!

(photo by Libby)

Before going to bed, our kiddos left out some cookies and milk for Santa, and some carrots for the reindeer. We hung their stockings with care, and kissed them all soundly and sent them to bed.



Aaaaaaahhhhh.... Onto...

Christmas Morning...

Even sleep-deprived parents are happy to wake up to excited children who can't wait to go downstairs. I love the excitement of Christmas morning. The kids were all so animated, and just couldn't believe that they actually got what they asked for!

Michael: Asked for a car race track

Bekah: Asked for princesses "with those squishy dresses so I can dress them up"

Abby: Asked for "that horse house with the swing for the girl"

Ella: Loved the ball popper most of all, and got the football players Michael asked Santa to give her so that she could play football guys with him.

They even discovered that Santa wrote a thank-you note to them for leaving him cookies and milk!

After opening Santa gifts, we had Christmas breakfast with cinnamon rolls and the traditional present from Paul's dad that never ceases to surprise us... SUGAR CEREAL!!

After breakfast everyone got changed and ready, then gathered again to open family presents to/from each other. This is always my favorite part. I love seeing and feeling the thoughtfulness of others. I loved seeing my kids have joy in the gifts they gave. I loved their excitement as they felt of the thoughtfulness of others.

My favorite gifts to give this year were the blankets I made (with a lot of last-minute help from Hannah!) for Abby and Bekah. They picked out the fabric on their own, and were so excited to see them made into blankets of their very own!


After all of the opening, thanking, and reading of instruction manuals there was more eating, playing, and the traditional Christmas Day trip to the movies. We saw Disney's Princess and the Frog this year... most of which I enjoyed from the back of the theater with a very noisily happy and excited Ella-Bella-Boo.

Thank you to Paul's family for making this Christmas so memorable and fun! I love that, in our 9th Christmas together, I know how the traditions go and just what to count on. This is the stuff of wonderful memories and bonds that last forever. It was a very Merry Christmas indeed.

2009 Pre-Christmas Favorites...

Each year, I say that Christmas gets more and more fun as the kiddos get older. This year was no exception. Each year the excitement escalates and the memories build. I love the traditions and details they recognize, appreciate, and anticipate. It is just so fun.

So just so we don't forget, I want to be sure to record some of the moments and traditions that made this Christmastime special for us. So here is a list along with a few pictures to document the days of December leading up to Christmas...


Things I loved about Christmas this year (2009):

• Opening Christmas books that we had wrapped each night before bedtime. Children's books are my favorite... and Christmas childrens books are my extra favorite. The kiddos loved opening a new story each night.

• Taking the kids to see The Nutcracker for the first time. They loved it, and I'm happy we were able to sit through it all... even though there was a bit of restlessness toward the end.

• Driving around looking at Christmas lights on houses. The kids loooooved driving through the neighborhoods seeing new lights, and we had our favorite houses that we would visit time after time.
  

• Sharing the tradition of Santa with Abby and Bekah. Michael is a veteran, but all seemed new as we shared the legends of the North Pole, Rudolph, and a flying sleigh.
  

• The live nativity in Provo. On a "girl's night out" with Abby and Bekah, we happened to stop by downtown Provo and saw a fun little reenactment of the nativity in the Provo Tabernacle. It was the perfect way to start off our December.

• Kids playing with nativity sets. We have a few nativity sets that are "on" limits for the kiddos to play with, and play with them they did! Every day Mary and Joseph were up to something with their baby, the shepherds and wise men were playing some new game, or the animals were requiring some kind of special care. I love that they love the nativity story.

• Playing Christmas music. It wouldn't be Christmas without those old familiar songs playing in their endless varieties. From Kidz Bop to Harry Connick, some version of some carol was playing all month long.

• The snow!!! Sure, sometimes it is a bother. Sometimes it gets old. But when it comes right down to it, the ambiance of Christmastime is so much sweeter with white powder covering the ground. We did miss it a bit when we lived in California, most especially around Christmastime. So we were happy to reintroduce the kiddos to this part of Christmastime.
  

• Kids' Christmas shopping. I love letting the kids (kind of) direct what they want to get their dad/brother/sister. It is so fun to hear their ideas, see their decision making process, and share their excitement and anticipation for giving the gift they picked out. They realize that Christmas presents are not just for getting themselves.

We did another Christmas activity I want to make a tradition... going to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights and nativity. This year I was lucky to have my dad in town for the days while Michael and Paul were gone to cheer BYU on at the Las Vegas Bowl (more to document on that later...). We decided to brave the cold and go up to meet Melinda (sister-in-law) and Aaron (nephew) there for the night. I'll just say it was a learning experience... a comedy of errors if you will. And because it was a crazy/great memory with my dad, I just have to document it here:


First of all, it was the Monday night before Christmas. I'd say half of Utah was there for their family night, and it was amazingly crowded. Hard-to-push-a-stroller-around crowded.

Second of all, with all my careful planning for the below-freezing temperatures with hats and gloves and layers and blankets... I forgot the girls' actual coats. !!! Luckily my dad gave up one of his layers and Melinda had an extra hoodie, and we bundled the girls as well as we could.

Thirdly, with the craziness of downtown during the holidays and finding a parking place, I failed to stop somewhere for dinner. Melinda grabbed us some cheeseburgers on her way to Temple Squares, and sheepishly devoured them in the corner of the visitor's center.


ps... Ella and my dad were major troopers.

Then, with everyone bundled, fed, and happy, we spent some time in the visitor's center.


There were happy times and playing with cousin Aaron when... wham! Bekah ran into Aaron's head, which resulted in a bloody nose...


It was quite the spectacle, but Bekah took it really well. I had her lay down on a bench until the bleeding stop, then found Abby who had wondered off, then gathered everyone to go outside one more time to see the nativity. I then dropped my lens cap which Melinda helped me find with the use of the light from her cell phone, almost lost Bekah again, and then we were pretty much ready to go.

It was quite the night, but is a sweet memory for me that I share with my dad... who was so positive and helpful through the whole thing. We didn't regret going, and had a lot of good laughs on the way home. Melinda and her sister who was there were also so fun, patient, and helpful through all the mishaps. Next year, I'll bring coats, feed everyone beforehand, and NOT wait until the FHE night before Christmas to haul our traveling circus through the crowds!

Anyway... all in all I thoroughly enjoyed all the traditions, celebrations, and craziness of the pre-Christmas festivities. No wonder we look forward to it so much, and I can't wait until next year...

"See you then!"

Just Another Night...

Paul is working tonight. With a work schedule made up of shift work, he works a lot of nights. On such nights, it is up to me and my lonesome self to oversee the night time routine: dinnertime, reading scriptures, getting ready for bed, forcing the mommy brushing of the teeth, reading time, prayer time, group hug... then individual prayers and standbys in each child's room.

Sometimes it seems like a pretty looooong and drawn out process. It is nothing out of the norm for many families. But it is quite the task at times. Sometimes it is crazy. Sometimes it is draining. Most of the time I am happy to finally have a quiet house. But it is also some of the most meaningful time we all spend together. And most of the time, I also walk down the stairs with sweet things to think about from the things they did or said during our night time routine.


Because this blog is also a journal for me, I just want to write a few from tonight that are still fresh on my mind.

Bekah spontaneously told Michael: "I love you more than all the snowflakes." Michael told her, "I love you more than all the stars and all the cars and all the people on the earth." Abby inturrupted, "I love you more than all the blankets."

Michael said the sweetest prayer--very expressive, and very genuine. "We are so, so, so, so, so, so grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ and that he was born. And we are very, very, very thankful that he did the atonement for us."

During our "group hug," Bekah announced: "I just LOVE to hug my family!"



Today we saw the Nutcracker, and I asked Abby what her favorite part was. "The Sugar Plum Faiwy one and the girl one with the white pajamas was. They was my fwavwit."

I asked Bekah what her favorite part was: "Not the mouse king. He was NOT very nice and he was NOT my favorite."

And while I'm remembering it, Michael and I had a little exchange the other day that has been making me smile ever since. We were driving around BYU looking for a parking spot, going to a basketball game for a mommy-and-Michael night. I showed him the dorm where I lived when I was a freshman, then told him about the next apartment I lived in when I met Paul, and that my next apartment was after I was married to him.

Michael said: "Well I'm just really glad you met dad. Because he's a really great dad, and I really like him as my dad. And you're a really great mom and I just like you as my mom. And it's a good thing you're together, and I'm really glad that you and dad got married so that I can have you as my mom and dad, because I don't think there are any better moms and dads for me besides you guys."

I'm really glad we got together too, Michael. Because he IS a really great dad. And you are a really great son. And you have wonderfully great sisters. And I love you all more than all the snowflakes, and all the stars and all the cars and all the people and all the blankets... and all the sweet things you all say.

A Traditional Disneyland Trip...

We take you back to November... Back to a time of a fair amount of anxiety and pressure for our household hero, Dr. Paul, who had been studying hard for his boards exam. Back to a time where this mommy was once again holding down the fort while the daddy went into lockdown study mode.

Familiar territory, certainly. But this time was different for two reasons. (1) It was the final test/step for Paul to become fully certified, and (2) we had a DISNEYLAND trip planned as a reward!!


So while Paul took the exam, I was putting the finishing touches on our packing, and we hit the road when he came home... for the most part :) We left a cold, blustery Utah, and were happy to be reacquainted with the perpetually pleasant sunshine of Southern California. We were even more happy to reacquaint ourselves with our favorite part of living in California.


And to make it even sweeter, we were there right in time for all the holiday decorations/parades/festivities. I love Christmastime at Disneyland. I remember our first December in California, being surrounded by warm weather and palm trees, thinking "this does NOT feel like Christmastime at all!" But Disneyland remedied that for me each year. A California Christmas tradition, if you will. This year was no disappointment.

The girls created a new Disneyland tradition... each time we entered the park, they had to stop at these benches, climb them, and perch on the top to pretend to be The Little Mermaid. They would sing parts of "Part of their world" and raise themselves up on the stone, trying to recreate this scene:


Don't ask me what I think about having my daughters imitate Ariel, because you might get a confession of worries about the example of disobedience, reckless decisions, and... um... shells for clothing. Regardless, this was cute.




They, of course, loved Winnie the Pooh, Pirates, and the "big girl ride"... Matterhorn--one of the only fast rides they can ride at their height.



We had a "girls morning" with the princesses while the boys did some of the bigger rides. My girls fit right in with their dainty walking and adoring smiles...




Ella joined in the tradition of Disneyland more than ever, as I feel like this was the first trip where she was actually conscientiously aware that what we were doing was special and fun. She loved the sights and scenes displayed before her. She enjoyed several rides, and clung to me on others. Her favorite was definitely the carousel.


And Michael had coming of age experience at Disneyland this time. Being tall enough to ride all of the big rides brought a new excitement to relish.


California Screamin', Space Mountain, Indiana Jones... this boy delights in them all. He will carry on the Risenmay tradition of being a true roller-coaster maniac, taking after his mom, who takes after her daddy. :) I was, however, worried about the Tower of Terror... which I thought would be too creepy for our Michael.


Paul took him against my better judgment... and I am happily surprised that there have been no resulting nightmares. Phew.

He was also selected to be a Jedi in Training, and got to fight the formidable Darth Vader. I guess that's pretty creepy too...


A highlight was being able to have my brother Todd, who is living in LA right now, come with us for a day. The kiddos loved having him there, and we appreciated the extra hands!


On our last Disneyland day, we were joined by our friends, the Rowleys, which is another California tradition. We love meeting up with them there. I love watching the kids all pal around, taking turns riding with each other, and sharing their excitements.

When we left Disneyland that day, we drove with the Rowleys to their house to spend a couple of days with them. The kids always fall into things like they've never been apart... Abby and Bekah go right for the dress up clothes, Emily creates a magical world of pretend for everyone to join, and Caleb and Michael talk math, sports, and cars. Still trying to get them to move to Utah... :)

Can you tell the sun was right in our eyes?? Oh, and we were late for church...


I am so glad we still have our Disneyland passes. I know it seems so cheesy to be such a fan of Disneyland... but I'll tell you what I love about it. You walk into the gates and it is cheery, happy, and bright. Everything is clean. Children are not only welcomed, but cherished. They love EVERYthing and I love their excitement. You don't have to plan a thing except when to eat and where to walk next. And it is all FUN.

Our kids are at perfect ages for it to be truly magical, and I'm glad it is a family tradition for us...