Holidays in Review

2009 is here! We're still reveling in the wonder of Christmas and Thanksgiving - here is a recap. Somehow three of the six Hinckley sibs are currently living in states placed not too far apart from each other in that vast expanse known as Middle America: Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina. So a Cincinnati Thanksgiving it was, and we even convinced Uncle Spence to fly in from Salt Lake for the event. We had seven adults and seven children - pure chaos and pure magic. Cincinnati had gorgeous weather, and we ate a meal that would make Michael Pollan proud - local organic farm fresh herbs, vegetables, and eggs. Amish pasture-farm raised turkey. Milk from a pasture based dairy farm less than three hours away. Local honey. Homemade rolls. The Rowans worked their gourmet magic. Jenni whipped up scrumptious Koelliker rolls and mashed potatoes (and even taught the nieces to make the rolls). Pure gustatory pleasure all around. Spence let the kiddos crawl all over him all the time. Ann and I went running on the Loveland Bike Trail. Jamin played football and swingset games with the kids in our backyard. We cried as the cars drove out of the driveway towards their home states, and when we dropped Spence off at the airport. Ellie keeps saying, "Mom, where are the kiddos? I want to play with kiddos." I think the picture on the sofa says it all:

Fortunately, Grammie and Pops arrived a week later with pictures of each kiddo, so Ellie can flip through a picture book and talk to her cousins. Grammie and Pops were here for Matt's blessing, a quick but very wonderful visit.

Little guy is the most adorable baby boy on the planet. Period.

Christmas came and went too quickly. I always want to savor every single bit of Christmas, and there is never enough time - never enough time to hear all the great Christmas songs on repeat, never enough calm candlelit nights, never enough quiet moments worshiping the Christmas tree and remembering the story behind each ornament. Christmas Eve and Christmas morning go way too fast. All too soon, the presents under the tree are opened and time marches on. At our house, the Christmas decorations are still up and I'm still listening to Christmas music. I think I at least get until the end of the year before I have to give up December magic entirely. We had a wonderful Christmas day with all the Lesans, and Ellie was very excited that Santa came to both our house and Grandma and Grandpa's house. Ellie got to visit Santa three times - once at the ward Christmas party, once at Macys, and once at the Zoo.
The one at the ward Christmas party was the one that stuck in her mind, apparently, because last week on the way to Church she said, "Matt, we go to Church. Jesus be there, and Joseph Smith, and Santa."

Sigh. Now it is New Year's Day, and I suppose it's time to take the Christmas tree down for another year. Good thing 2009 promises to be so wonderful!