This Christmas was my first Christmas being married to Chris. And that meant change. And when it comes to Christmas, I was NOT ready for change. I wanted MY Christmas. The kind of Christmas I've always had with my family. I wanted to buy all my family members multiple gifts like I always do. I wanted our Christmas Eve sibling sleepover where we read How The Grinch Stole Christmas and watch Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I wanted to spend all day with my family in my pajamas. Because that's the Christmas I knew and loved.
But being married meant I didn't get to do all that. I have a husband now and not only did I have to include him in my plans, but his family as well. I grew very upset when I had this realization last Sunday and may or may not have cried. I loved my husband and his family and I loved spending Thanksgiving with them, but I wanted MY Christmas. And it was becoming clear that wasn't going to happen.
My amazing husband became incredibly selfless (Abnegation
) the second I began expressing how upset I was (possibly with tears). He rearranged his own family plans to make me happy, and I cannot express how happy I am that he did that and also how much I love him. He loves me more than anything and will do anything to make me happy and I owe him so much for letting me have my Christmas.So Chris arranged his family plans, changed his work schedule, and we were able to drive home Christmas Eve afternoon, as opposed to late at night, to see first his mom, then my family. We spent Christmas Eve with my family and we were able to relive my sibling traditions, like singing "Santa's coming tonight, tonight" every chance we get.
We had shrimp scampi for dinner, and played games with my family, my favorite being 5 Second Rule. Then we all went upstairs for our traditional sibling sleepover, being locked in the bedroom so Santa could come (yes all the siblings are over 18 but does that really change anything?). We read How The Grinch Stole Christmas as a group. We then got into our beds: my brother and sister on the king size bed and Chris and me on a mattress on the floor. We turned on Santa Claus is Coming to Town and slowly went to sleep.
We all woke up around eight and left the bedroom to find our parents, careful not to look into the living room at what Santa brought us. We gathered as a family in the front room and read together the Bible story of Jesus's birth, because that's the reason we celebrate Christmas. Then my dad read a poem that he wrote (which is amazing and I really want to share it on this blog someday) about Christmas and giving. It was fantastic.
Then we got to go downstairs and look at gifts. We dug through our stockings to see what Santa brought us. Santa even had a stocking for Chris with just as many items as the rest of us. Then we all split up the gifts under the tree and handed them out. My family always opens gifts one at a time going youngest to oldest. So Nick opens a gift, then me, then Chris, then Michelle, then mom, and finally dad, and then the cycle starts all over.
We got through two cycles before Chris's missionary brothers called us on Skype. My amazing family waited patiently through our nearly two hour phone call before opening any more gifts. We ate our cinnamon rolls and they watched the Disneyland parade as Chris and I talked to his brothers that we haven't seen in six months. It was such a touching experience.
After the call we were able to open the rest of our gifts. I got so many wonderful things, none of which I asked for (I didn't ask my parents for anything this year). I felt so spoiled and blessed knowing my parents love me, and Chris so much. After opening gifts we played some of the games that we had gotten for Christmas. Then Chris and I got dressed and left my house to go to his parents house.
At the Farnes house we got a second Christmas. We opened up stockings, we opened up gifts, and we had an amazing second Christmas! Again, we felt so spoiled and loved! We ate dinner and played games with Chris's family and had a wonderful night. I was truly happy even if I wasn't with my family, because they are family too.
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We are currently at my parent's house, we haven't gone home to Logan yet and I have much more to write about my Christmas week, but I'm going to wait.
I was seriously doubting this Christmas. I was so upset that things would change. But it ended up being such a wonderful and memorable Christmas! My husband and my in-laws are so incredible and I loved spending half of my Christmas with them! I was being selfish before by not wanting things to change, but I shouldn't have been selfish, I should have been selfless like my sweet husband and made it a special Christmas for him.
I absolutely loved this Christmas! I have been so spoiled and blessed and have felt truly loved by everyone I spent Christmas with. I don't know if it was truly "The Best Christmas Ever" but I loved it and will cherish it in my heart forever. I love my husband and I he did to give me a wonderful Christmas! But most of all, I am grateful for the reason for the season, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Was your Christmas wonderful, unexpected, memorable, special, crazy, etc.??? Please leave a comment below and tell me about your Christmas!
THANKS FOR READING!!
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