The Past

I was just remembering what I thought was so magical about Christmas when I was little. Actually, Ava asked me what was so special about Christmas for me when I was little? I thought for a moment and tried to think back. The first thing that came to my mind was when I would very first walk in the room that Santa had graced. I knew immediately which pile, and I mean pile, of presents was mine. It was wrapped in all of the same paper, and paper specifically meant for only me. It was beautifully wrapped to the finest detail. I don't know, especially after attempting to make my own holiday magic, how he pulled it off :) I remember always loving everything I received, never feeling disappointed. I also think its so cool how my parents would let us wake up at the crack of dawn to open the presents. We would wait at the opening of the room and just stare in disbelief and pure energy towards our piles! I think they could feel the tension in the air. Then Heather and I would always meet at our halfway point to go to each other's houses and see each other's gifts. I think one year I was over at her house in the 5 o'clock hour, which means that I would have already opened my presents.

Christmas was a happy time. If they were stressed out, and I'm sure at times they must have been, I never knew it. My parents worked hard to make Christmas magical, I realize that now.

Thank you, I love you. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

Christmas Elf

I wrote a Christmas poem:

Hello, yes I love you...
Dear little Christmas elf
you have nice little ears
and you ease all my fears

the elf, the elf, the elf, the elf,
We love the little elf...

Delicious Clay Ornams

I love the ornaments. From every year and stage of our lives. I think we've all tried to eat the clay Santa that ma n' pa made when they were young. Delish.

Some questions.

What is your favorite thing about Nana and Papa's House?

Lily: It's big. It has a porch.
Ava: How it's so big.
Audrey: Putting up the Christmas tree.
Ava: And it's always warm inside their house. . .

What is your favorite thing about Nana?

Ava: How she always gives great hugs, and she always makes me give her hugs.
Lily: She takes us out to movies.
Audrey: Watching T.V. with her. . . and snuggling with her.

What is your favorite thing about Papa?

Audrey: Snuggling with him and watching T.V. with him.
Ava: He always says something funny everytime we see him.
Lily: When he gives us hugs.

What do you think about Tommy?

Lily: He scares me.
Ava: Tommy is always a fun dog. Whenever you want to play with him, he always wants to play with you.
Audrey: About him licking us and giving us kisses.

What do you think about Nana's hottub?

Lily: What hottub?
Audrey: They have a hottub?
Ava: Mossy.

What do you think about Jon?

Lily: I don't know. . . I'm trying to think, but it's a brain-teaser to me. . .
Ava: He's funny.
Audrey: He's always gives us hugs when he comes home at Nana's house.

What do you think about Travis?

Audrey: That he always, that Jacey always tell us to give Travis loves.
Ava: The funny/(slash) casual uncle.
Lily: Ah, green eyes. Same hair color as Audrey's hair. . .

What do you think about Sade?

Ava: Girly.
Lily: Beautiful.
Audrey: Lily, she's just beautiful because she always dresses up. Last night I saw some crowns in her room.
Lily: The other night, when we stayed there, I remember going up in her room and seeing her crowns.
Audrey: That's because she used to be a princess and I already said that.

What do you think about Jared?

Lily: Funny, ha.
Audrey: About how he tells me stuff and tells Sade to give me and Campbell a bath together.
Ava: Like, everytime we go over there he has something new for Campbell.
Audrey: That's all I think about Jared.

What do you think about Jacey?

Ava: Um, tom-boy type. Sade is girly, Jacey is more sporty-type.
Lily: Read-a-thon type. I mean marathon type.
Audrey: Its the same thing as Jared. . . telling secrets. . .a poo-poo nest, you know where a poo-poo goes to nest. I've seen that before.


What do you think about Josh?

Ava: I think of him as annoying-type.
Lily: Ahhh, going away-type.
Audrey: Gives me hugs.

What do you think about Josh, as a person?

Lily: Boring.
Ava: Talks a lot. Bugged me when I was little. We haven't seen him that much. Now, he tries talking to us and sees what's going on in school.
Lily: He hugs us and stuff.
Audrey: About telling him different jokes. Like coco nest. About Ava's little stuffed animal named Coco.

What do you think about Campbell?

Lily: Funny.
Ava: High-pitched.
Lily: I like to play with him. So playful and funny.
Audrey: About he's takes baths with me and plays with me.

Describe where Nana and Papa live?

Ava: High up on a mountain with a bunch of hills that you drive down.
Lily: Where you see a bunch of reindeer.
Audrey: In the clouds.

What do you like about Christmas at Nana and Papa's house?

Audrey: Decorating the tree.
Ava: There's always something fun to see there, like those creepy elves.
Audrey: I want to be an elf for Christmas.

A post from Chams

(This part was dictated to me)
Mama. Dada. Nana. Papa. Papa. Nana. Dada. Mama.


(This part was done on his own)
\\]]\==FVNHGFRDFSJHL;K;L';/vn ngtwrqewivvb

Kimmie's Creepy Elves

The twins. Ya’ll know who I’m talking about. I saw them the other day when I went over to pick up Campbell. I walk into the white on white opulent living room complete with white columns and a white mantle. And there they are. Sitting on the mantle. Watching. Judging. Smirking. Plotting. Waiting.

I swear those things are going to come to life one of these Christmases. But maybe they will be nice elves. Who am I kidding? They are totally creeptastic and they will surely be evil. They are the stuff that Stephen King novels are made of. Let's just hope no quickening happens. At least not until I get my cross, garlic, and silver bullets ready.

Until then, these creepy elves have become a fixture of my holidays. These elves are synonymous with Christmas. Dare I admit that I would miss them if they failed to appear one year.....

I love this time of year. I can look back and remember old traditions like eggnog cheers and Christmas Eve pajama parties, and I can look forward to creating new traditions like eating delicious pie Christmas morning with my husband by the Christmas tree.

One of my favorite memories of Christmas was one year when mom and dad were helping out a family that would not have a Christmas. It was during their Spanish initiatory calling. The feelings I had were unspoken but are still so vivid in my memories. It was so special to know that Christmas wasn't going to be like any other day for the children of that family. I can imagine the looks on their faces as they ripped through their gifts. I can see the Mother's eyes wet with tears and the Father closing his eyes in a grateful prayer. The children knew that day that Santa did love them. I knew that day that Christ did. Mom and Dad were Christ's hands. Doing work that He would do if He were on this earth.  They gave up their money and bought the gifts with selfless love. They gave of their time and wrapped the gifts with unconditional love. There are numerous acts of unselfish sacrifice that my parents have done season after season. 

Mom and Dad, I'd like to say thank you for the lessons you have taught me. I have witnessed great and powerful acts while being your daughter. Although I have never expressed it, your acts of kindness have shaped who I am as a human being. Your lessons of love will be passed on from generation to generation. You are remarkable.

Love, Jacey

Kimmie's Ornaments

Every year mom gets out the big bins of ornaments... [feel free to add siblings!]

I love how dad says "Christmas"

 It's a crispy jovial kind of a sound something like "Chrissmus."  We make him repeat it over and over again every year.  Can you all hear it now?!

Up

Kim:  Terry!  You're supposed to tell me when my pants are up my butt. . .

friends

yeah, my grandparents have a mansion, so what, so what, Ava thats like, awesome! thats what my friends say. I pretend like it isn't a big deal, just to get my friends into it... Though, they sometimes say that their grandparents have the most coolest house ever to, (but i think there jealous) which is perfectly fine with me.   They go on and on about how their grandma has her own waiter and their grandpa has his own limo...(duh) well, I go on and on about how my grandparents are the best, even if they don't have a waiter or a limo, but maybe they have a hot tub or let me have my own office... I'm just saying!

Terry does the Tango. . .

So we're on the now-annual Turner family vacation. One of the last activities we did together was to raft down the Provo river. Totally awesome. We took Ava and Lily and left Audrey and Turner and Campbell back at the hotel with Nana. None of us really know what is going to happen, how fast the river flows, how low the temperature of the water, etc. We finally found our way into the awkward parking lot at a bend in the canyon and settled in for a long wait, we arrived a little late for our initial time slot. A few of us walked over to "Vivian" park, a park named after one of our great-great grandmothers, to go potty. We have some races on the green grass, knock each other around, tell some jokes, etc. The weather is fantastic, blue skies and warm air.

Finally, we've been fitted for our life jackets and we are just waiting to be taken up in their ginormous ( I have never actually written out that word- it scares me a little bit) van with our raft attached. Right as I have just gathered my children up around me for the 19th time, the river is flowing deeply and quickly, my Dad taps me on the shoulder and motions for me to take a few steps backward. What's up, I nod. "Jen, I'm going to go up a few hundred feet, get in the river and float downstream. I'm going to act like some drowning person and you point me out to the kids. It will really get them. . ." he whispers, and begins walking up the mountain. "Wait!!!," I whisper. He's already out of earshot. Oh my gosh. I giggle a little bit to myself. Here I have a secret, which makes me nervous and red and blotchy already, and. . . "WAAAIIITTTTT!!!!!" I yell inside my head. He's going to drown. He has pulled stunts like this my whole life. . . but what if he underestimates the pull of the river. . . the temperature. . . he's a little older than probably the last time he dove into a deep river. . ."WWAAAAAAIIIIITTTTT!!!! . . .all in my mind. . .the anxiety drives me to pacing back and forth. . .the hilarity makes my stomach rumble with exitement. . . when, suddenly. . . "OOOKKKKAAAYYYY, Turner party, time to come and get on the van. Right now, its time to go NNNNOOOOWWWW!"

Oh, no. Oh, no. Everyone promptly turns and almost jaunts towards the van. Aaaa. . . Jon, he's the last one walking. "Jon, come here, " I'm looking up the river. NO sign of Terry. It has been close to five, or maybe ten, minutes. How long has it been? Oh my gosh. He's dead. I'm sure he slipped on the banks just trying to get in. . . because he was thinking how funny it was going to be. . . he broke his leg and went into shock. . . but couldn't yell because the river was so freezing cold that it froze his body into a statue and right before he floated passed us, I blinked. . . and nobody else knew of his scheme and so nobody else was looking. . . they're all sitting in the van, ready to drive up the mountain anyway. . . and Terry is doing the torture tango on his way down the rocky river. . .

"Jon, Dad is in the river!" "What do you mean??" "Dad wanted to pull a joke, went up the mountain, got in the river, I think, to float down, pretend to be drowning, funny. . .really funny. . . but now every is gone and I can't even see him. . ." "What, whawhat?" "Dad is. . . there he is!!!!!" May I just say that Jon and I giggled, we actually had a really nice, deep giggle and I'll always be grateful for that. That awesome, confused look on his face. Just Jon and me. "Dad, Dad stand up. . . no one's here. . . its time to go get in the van." "What happened?" "Come on." Jon helps him out of the river. "Its time to go get in the van, they're kind of mad. They've been waiting. . ." Jon giggles. I just lose it. . . Terry approaches the van, sopping wet. "What the crap, Dad. . . where have you been? These guys are kind of upset. . . and why are you all wet?" says Jared. "I tried to. . . I was going to. . . make a. . . make a joke." Jenni and Jon can't speak. Our laughter overcomes us. Everyone else is just totally and completely confused. That was awesome and I will never forget that funny, funny joke. Thanks, Dad.