Monday, January 2, 2012

Our First Christmas


Well, I guess technically our first Christmas together was last Christmas.
Which was spent with my family.
At our cabin.
With 11 adults.
5 little-ones.
Cramped quarters.
Playing games with my family where my brothers were on their best behavior...NOT!
And it was freezing outside.

Oh, and did I mention that we had only been dating less than a month.
Oh, and that he comes from a MUCH smaller family.

We only stayed one night, but it still amazes me that even through it all he was such a great sport and still wanted to continue dating me.

He must have really liked me.

This Christmas was spent in Houston with husband's family.
My first Christmas away from "home."
Honestly, it was kinda hard 'cause I really missed my fam...especially my nieces and nephews.
But it was fun to be a part of new family traditions.

We spent the majority of Christmas Eve
baking
sitting around the fireplace
discussing politics
eating
arguing about politics
eating
being entertained by Brooke
(the one and only grandchild...she's 4)
eating
playing some games
laughing
being entertained some more by Brooke
arguing some more about who knows what
eating
laughing some more
and then finishing it off with a viewing of JOY TO THE WORLD!

Christmas morning we
went to church
(with Elder Scott...his daughter is in our ward)
opened presents
hung out by the fireplace
ate yummy Christmas lunch
hung out some more by the fireplace
drank yummy hot cocoa
discussed/argued lots of things
and did a lot of playing with Brooke and her new toys!

ALSO...
we skyped with my fam!!!
I love Skype.
I got to see all my nieces and nephews and talk to them.
Oh, and my parents and my brothers, sister, and sister-in-laws.
Elliot came up and with his sweet voice told us, "Merry Christmas!"
Landon did his famous stare, obviously in shock over seeing us after so long,
and finished it off with a cute "Merry Christmas" as well.
Emery showed us her ballet dance.
Ian sang "Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer" and showed us his "hilarious" cowboy boots like Uncle Nick's.
Paige blew us some kisses and gave some really valiant attempts at saying our names.
And Jamison gave us the cutest little smiles.
We also did our sibling Christmas gift exchange.
The kiddos did the nativity...which was pretty much total chaos but totally cute!
Then mom came out with a huge bucket of presents for the kids to unwrap.
Again...total chaos.
All the while Nick and I are sitting in our quiet house watching this all on the internet.
I love modern technology!

And then a couple of hours later
Elder Mason Rhett Crandell called!!!
Can you believe that he comes home in 10ish weeks????????

{BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!}

2 comments:

ashlee said...

sounds like a lot of fun! glad your first christmas went so well!!

Case said...

Sounds like fun!!! :) Sounds like you got the best of both worlds. Excited for you guys to get your Mason back.