Oh What Fun!

Merry Christmas, everyone! May I wish you that retroactively and also extend all my hope for a glorious new year to come. As I reflect back on Christmas 2019, for us just three days ago because we celebrated on the 26th, I feel only joy. Not everything went as planned; it never does. Still, oh what fun!

Christmas Eve (for us, Dec. 25th), Gerald and I ate a late lunch at Macaroni Grill. We sat in Amanda's section, where we could see Eli nearby on the expo line. It was a lovely dinner, parmesan crusted chicken salad for me and pizza for Gerald. When we finished and I was thanking the manager Krissa for comping our entire meal, she hugged me and whispered, "Merry Christmas! Thank you for sacrificing your family to us on Christmas and moving your celebration to the next day." I really don't mind; 25 is just a number, but it was still so kind of her to say.

That evening, we ate our traditional Chinese food. Because it was technically Christmas Day, lines at Joy Luck were out the door for both seating and takeout, so Shulamith and I drove to Asian Potato instead. It was busy there too, but we were able to get our takeout order in about 20 minutes. After dinner, it was time to open our one Christmas Eve gift. Sadly, Eli and Amanda were still stuck at Mac. Grill and wouldn't be home until near midnight, so we had to do it without them. That stuff about not everything going as planned is never my favorite, but it is certainly reality. Isaiah and Mathew abstain from the matching Christmas pajamas, so Isaiah opened a sherpa/fleece blanket, and Matt opened slippers while the rest of us opened our new matching PJs. We didn't get a picture of everyone together because we were waiting for Eli and Amanda. We said we'd do it the next day "Christmas Day" for sure, but then we didn't. So you'll have to look at these pictures and imagine Amanda in her dress, and Eli and Shulamith's sons in their navy pants with Christmas lights, all dressed up cute right along with us:

The next day, I awoke to snow flurries. It was as if Heaven was trying to send us a white Christmas, but the temperature was a bit too warm to allow the snow to stick. It was pretty, though! We began our gift opening rotation, one at a time, youngest to oldest, at around 10:00 a.m. Here are some of my favorite surprises:

Yeah, Shulamith and I gave each other nearly identical gifts, new church coats. This happens often for her and me. We have similar tastes and styles and know each other very well. (Side note: We both loved wearing these coats to our church meetings this morning, commenting, "We're at church. And we're warm. This is amazing!")

Here is Amanda opening her weighted blanket, something she has wanted for a long time but wasn't expecting. Yep, I think I surprised her good. Oh what fun!

Isaiah was recovering from serious jet lag, after a 2-week trip to Asia, where he visited Cambodia, Singapore, and Vietnam. He's extremely hard to shop for because he's a true minimalist and wants nothing, but I think he was actually excited by Shulamith's gift of socks from Donovan Mitchell's new store:

Sometime in the middle of all this delightful chaos, my phone rang. I had been waiting and hoping for a tiny miracle that would make it so Seth could video chat with us. He's serving this week in a remote area, where technology is challenging. As of last Monday, the WiFi was completely down, and no one seemed to know when it might be restored. I tried hard to have faith to believe that one way or another, we would hear from him, and LOOK!!!

It happened. Our own Christmas miracle. The connection was better than we've had in months. Seth was able to chat with everyone one at a time, and even open the presents I had shipped, right there where we could see. He was so crazy excited over simple candy, and he nearly jumped out of his chair when he opened the new watch he had asked for. With the recent change in policy relaxing communication restrictions between missionaries and their families, we get to talk to Seth way more often than we ever did our other two missionaries; still, it was as wonderful as ever to "be" with him on Christmas. He stayed connected for about 90 minutes and watched us each open a gift. My heart. My baby. Next Christmas, you'll be home.

The best surprise of the day came after all the gifts were opened. We open our stockings last BECAUSE THAT IS THE CORRECT WAY TO DO IT, AND IF YOU DON'T OPEN Y0URS LAST, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO REPENT AND CHANGE YOUR WAYS. Again, one by one, in order of age, we opened our stockings. When it was Eli's turn, I told him there was one more thing that I failed to get into his stocking, and I went into the bedroom and brought out a big box, all carefully wrapped. He seemed unsure at first whether to believe it. "Wait, I get to open another present? That's mine?"

Santa brought Eli a hover board, something he's wanted for many years, all the way back to when the technology was new and they cost $600. I think he was completely surprised, and few things bring me more joy than surprising one of my kids with a gift he or she wants. It was perfect, and I think he likes it.

Oh what fun!!!

We are off to St. George this week to ring in the new year. May our 20/20 vision show us all our blessings, and together may we seek to show greater love one to another.

Let's just read books and watch TV all the time.

Me: Let's not teach any more classes. Let's just read books and watch TV all the time.
Shulamith: Done.

Shulamith and I both teach a couple English classes at Salt Lake Community College, and we recently completed fall semester, giving us four full weeks of break. Needless to say, we really like it.  Break, that is. So much so that this afternoon as I finished the book I was reading, The Woman in the Window, I texted Shulamith, which resulted in the above conversation. Honestly, I think I would be perfectly content to read books and watch TV all my days. And eat good food, of course. And walk. Don't worry, Emily, I won't stop walking. I have walked for so long, I think my body would rebel in a big way if I ever stopped.

With the year end approaching, friends have been posting their favorites of 2019: books, TV shows, movies, memes, etc. In addition, I've seen a few "least favorite" posts, including two about least favorite Christmas carols. I decided I needed in on the action, so here goes:

I didn't see enough movies to make much of a list, but hands down, the best one I saw this year was Rocketman, the biographical musical drama based on the life of Elton John. It doesn't hurt that I crazy love his music (and him!), but seriously, this film is so well done. Pure delight. Isaiah and I sang every song. Later in the year, Isaiah surprised me with not only the best concert I saw in 2019 (okay, it was the only concert I saw in 2019), but the best concert I've seen in my whole life. Highlights here!

Honorable mention goes to the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? based on the legacy of Fred Rogers, creator and host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. 

Moving from big screen to small, I like a lot of shows, all pretty much the same genre. We've already established that I'm a reality TV failure, and I'm not that good at comedy either. I can count on one hand the number of comedies I've really loved, and none of those aired this past year. So sorry JoJo Siwa, but I'm definitely not gonna "Hold the Drama." It's all I like to watch! I've narrowed my faves of 2019 down to three, in this order:

#3 Almost Family. I know, I know, it seems like the stupidest plot ever, so stupid that I'm not even gonna tell you about it. You just have to watch. The strength of this show are its characters. All of them. They're quirky and complicated just like the rest of us, and endearing right down to their souls.

#2 A Million Little Things. This one hooked me from the first episode, when the most influential character of the series dies. After that, he appears in occasional flashbacks, but really, his presence is felt most deeply through the impact he had on all the other characters, through whom the writers explore and interrogate the most basic meanings of friendship.

#1 This is Us. Despite the glaring grammatical error in its title (Ugh!), this show easily wins first place in my heart. With nothing short of brilliance, these writers move us back and forth in time. Maybe I'm just fond of dead characters (and no, I never watched The Walking Dead - way too violent!), but the hero Jack Pearson, alive only in flashbacks, breathes life into this show in a way few can equal. The story's essence is Jack: his wife, his kids, their kids, and then back the other way to his dad, mom, and brother. I'm captivated every single episode by how the show presents parallel plot lines, as it moves seamlessly and effortlessly through time. Watch it. You won't be disappointed.

Honorable mention goes to Jane the Virgin, a telenovela that explores the strength of women, the strength of family, and the vulnerability that always accompanies genuine love. It's a fun one, and a little bit comedy to prove that I don't totally suck at comedy.

Way more challenging than movies, concerts, or TV shows is to figure out my favorite books. I read so, so many. So many stories. So many characters. So much angst. So much joy. It's hard to remember. I have four lovely suggestions, but I can't guarantee they are my for sure favorites of 2019, because I could be forgetting something wonderful. If so, my apologies.

#4 Where the Crawdads Sing. I always say that all good literature is true, because it speaks of life, and in doing so, communicates to readers what it is to be alive and human. By this definition, Crawdads, though obviously fiction, is true in every way. As we read, we live and breathe right alongside Kya, the marsh girl, abandoned by everyone, yet strong and resilient, and that's enough right there. Don't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure.

#3 Small Great Things. Through the story of Ruth Jefferson, an African American labor and delivery nurse, we are smacked square in the face with the uncomfortable topics of racial injustice, prejudice, and hate, in a way that makes us squirm mightily. And squirm we should.

#2 Just Mercy. Disclaimer: I've only read 30%. I started it too late because I was finishing another book for my book group, and then my loan expired. It's back on my Kindle queue, but it's popular, so I'm still waiting. But even with just 30%, it finds its way to #2 on my list. It's that good. The only non-fiction on my list (remember, all good literature is true, but this story actually happened), this book is like a train wreck. It's so awful, but I couldn't stop reading, and when it disappeared, I felt simultaneously relieved for the break and desperate to have it back.

#1 The Things We Cannot Say. While all story elements are important: plot, characters, setting, point of view; for me, it's all about voice. I yearn to hear a genuine, honest voice, and this book delivers exactly that. Woven beautifully between WWII Poland and modern day, this story threw me head-over-heels in love with both protagonists, Alina, the young girl in worn-torn Poland, and Alice, the woman plagued by her quest to uncover a family secret. The story causes us to reflect on secrets, indeed the things unsaid, those that protect as well as those that do harm, and the brave souls who fight to know the difference.

Honorable mentions include The Silent Patient; Little Fires Everywhere; Where'd You Go, Bernadette?; and Every Note Played.

Finally, for the fun of it, let's talk about crappy Christmas carols (oooh, gotta love that alliteration). I've heard numerous rants about the song "Baby It's Cold Outside." Is it promoting date rape, with lines such as "Say, what's in this drink?" and "I like to think of it as opportunistic"? Okay, yeah, I can see that inference. I can. But I don't think this was the song's intent really; maybe I'm naive? I actually sort of like the song, truth be told. Sorry to those who hate it.

Then there's debate over "Mary, Did You Know?" citing Luke 1:26-35, where the angel appears to Mary and foretells the coming of the Savior and his mission. Again, I get it. But I'm okay suspending reality just a bit. After all, we set up manger scenes with both shepherds and wise men, who in reality, visited the babe years apart, and as Gerald noted in a post, we sing about how He never cried, which is incredulous considering he was a human baby. So maybe it's okay if we sing a pretty song that asks Mary if she knew.

Another favorite to hate on is "Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer." My biggest issue with this one is, again, GRAMMAR! Come on, people. Otherwise, the song kind of makes me laugh. I guess I just don't take it seriously enough, and also, I have this fond memory my mom carrying Luke (Born Dec. 4th) around the house, singing this song to him to sooth his newborn cries.

So what songs don't I like, you are dying to know? Counting down the three crappiest Christmas carols. Second disclaimer: I still sing numbers 3 and 2, because they're as old as dirt and everyone sings them. I just don't care for the meaning in the lyrics.

#3 "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." This song presents a terrible example of bullying and shunning a poor reindeer because of his appearance, then loving him only when he's desperately needed. Blah.

#2 "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." And this one promotes the false belief that children can be "bad," and that if they are, Santa (who creeps on them night and day) won't bring them any presents. The worst line in this one: "You better not cry." Double blah.

Last, and this one I DO NOT sing. I get mad when it comes on the radio. Guys, I really loathe this song.

#1 "Santa Baby." Some girl with a sexy voice petitions Santa to "hurry down the chimney" and bring her everything under the sun, including a sable, a light blue convertible, a duplex, and the deed to a platinum mine! How utterly materialistic! And the only way she'll be a "very good girl" next year is if he brings her all this stuff. I really might throw up.

There you have it, my favorite movies, concert, TV shows, and books. And my least fave Christmas carols.

Also, if you're looking for Shulamith and me, we are reading books and watching TV all the time. For the rest our lives.

It's fine.

I think you should make a crossword puzzle!

"Ooooh, that is such a good idea!" (My response when Shulamith suggested a crossword puzzle.)

You see, every year since Gerald and I were married, we've sent out a Christmas letter/card/greeting of some kind. In the early years, our letters were more traditional, but I quickly tired of those, so for the last 15-ish years, I've sought newer, more creative ideas. The problem is, I'm running out of those.

I've written an acrostic poem, using the all the letter of our two last names. I've made a multiple choice test. I've done a "thumbs up / thumbs down" format, to highlight the highs and lows of the year. I've done an award show theme, giving everyone his or her own award. One time I asked everyone the same three questions and wrote their answers. Another year I did "The 12 Days of Erichsen-Webster Christmas." Another year I did "Quotable Quotes," citing a memorable quote from each of us. Some of these ideas I stole from my friend, Trudy. Others I found online. Still others I thought up myself.

My absolute favorite Christmas letter, the one I try to equal every year but never succeed, is from 2014 when I rewrote the poem "Twas The Night Before Christmas" to reflect our family. Here it is, if you'd like to read it again.

This year's letter doesn't even come close to that one, but it was fun to write nonetheless. I was totally stumped trying to come up with a new idea when Shulamith came to the rescue with the crossword puzzle suggestion. It's not a live link, so you'll need to highlight/copy/paste it into your browser, but that should work fine. So here it is:

...drum roll...

CrosswordHobbyist.com/708062/Erichsen-Webster-Family-Puzzle





SPOILER ALERT!!!

Next, I'm going to post the answers, so if you'd like to try to solve the puzzle first, STOP SCROLLING NOW.





Puzzle Answers:

Across
4 Waffles
5 Gerald
6 Theodore
7 Shulamith
8 ElderErichsen
13 Mathew
14 Luke
16 Kennedy

Down
1 Amanda
2 Terrianne
3 MrWebster
9 Desiree
10 Ramsay
11 Isaiah
12 Swen
15 Evelyn

Thanks for letting us crash on your Disney vacay!

Quite a while ago, perhaps as much as a couple of years, my niece Carley mentioned that she and her sister Leslie planned to take their kids, Finn (Carley) and Sydney (Leslie), to Disneyland in December of 2019 when both kids would be five years old. "You should come!" she said. It was such a kind invitation, but in that moment, I doubt either of us thought I really would.

Then, time creeped on us; you know how creepy time can be. Leslie sent out a group text to everyone who had ever expressed any interest in joining this family trip, including me. "Hmmm?" I thought. "Maybe I would love to go. Maybe Shulamith would love to go. It would be so fun." And just like that, the plans began to take form. Shulamith decided to take just her two older kids and leave two-year-old Theodore at home with Matt. The last time I was at a Disney resort without a baby or toddler was in 2008, when our family went to Walt Disney World in Florida. Seth was eight, so able to ride every ride. It was (and remains) the most wonderful vacation of my life.

So, yes, I was excited for a Disney trip with no babies to slow us down. By July, we had booked our flights and hotel, and all we had to do was wait for it to be December. No worries. Time was creepy once again. Last Friday we boarded a Jet Blue airplane for our Disney adventure (or should I say our vacation-crashing adventure)? My nice family reassured me we weren't crashing and they were happy we were there. I believe them.

As for the trip, let's divide it into two categories: "Awesome" and "Not So Awesome." Fortunately, the "Awesome" category wins hands down.

AWESOME
1. Off season in the parks. Seriously, I will never again go to a Disney resort when school is not in session. Crowds were minimal, especially in the mornings. We arrived at opening all three days and strolled down the streets.

2. MaxPass - $10/day and worth every penny. If the simple fast pass wasn't enough, now there is this new thing (well, new to me) called MaxPass where you can access fast passes electronically on your phone. Say what?? Yep, Shulamith organized this thing like a boss, and we ride junkies rode a big attraction pretty much every hour. I got to ride Space Mountain, my favorite ride in all of Disneyland, three times! We also rode Thunder Mountain three times, Star Tours and the Haunted Mansion twice each, as well as Pirates, Small World, Matterhorn, Teacups, Dumbo, and the new Star Wars ride. Shulamith and Swen rode Indiana Jones; Kennedy was a tad too short, and I don't ride that one because it's Rated "S."

In California Adventure, we rode Guardians (formerly Tower of Terror) twice, Soarin' twice, and Incredicoaster (formerly Screamin') almost twice (we had fast passes for a second time but had to leave to meet my lovely family for dinner). Oooh, but that one time was magnificent!

3. Food. We have some food traditions at Disneyland, and we managed to eat every one of them. The first is a giant turkey leg with corn on the cob. Mmmmm! Second (for me) is a sourdough bread bowl filled with piping hot clam chowder. Shulamith doesn't eat this one because she doesn't always appreciate good food. And we now have a third tradition, discovered this trip: churro toffee! Oh. My. Goodness. It's toffee covered in white chocolate, then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar all around. Not even kidding.

4. Kind TSA agents at Long Beach Airport. You know how TSA agents are usually jerks? As in they need to take a writing class from me and learn about tone? Well, this time, instead of flying into LAX, we opted to use the Long Beach Airport, and for real, the TSA agents were amazing. They didn't yell at us. They didn't act like police posers, who, given the tiniest bit of authority, treat others like garbage. They spoke at a normal volume. They smiled. They said "please"! Unable to restrain myself, I said to one of them, "Thank you so very much for not yelling at me and for being polite and respectful." Pretty sure he thought I was nuts, but I don't care.

5. Uber/Lyft. The heck with expensive, inconvenient shuttle vans or taxis: go Uber! We were just a bit over a mile from the parks, but decided to reserve our energy for riding rides (reputation as ride junkies to maintain and all that), so we used either Uber or Lyft to and from. It was only around $6.00 each way and so perfectly convenient. The drivers had diverse personalities, some chatty and some reserved, but all were just fine.

6. Bipbbidi Bobbidi nearly breaks the bank. But then, I suppose the making of a princess doesn't come cheap. Shulamith's daughter, Kennedy, and my niece Leslie's daughter, Sydney, were transformed from regular five-year-old girls into sparkling Disney princesses right before our eyes, courtesy of their own personal fairy godmothers at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

7. The weather. Shulamith kept close tabs on the forecast before we left, and ooooh, it was not great. As most of you know, about 99% of the time, I prefer rain to any other type of weather. The 1%? A Disneyland vacation. So when rain was predicted two of our three days in the parks, we packed ponchos and umbrellas for everyone, determined not to let a little wetness dampen our fun. The day we arrived, it poured "Paraguay style" all afternoon, but that was literally the only rain we saw. Our days in the park were around 60 degrees and partly sunny. Perfect.

8. My Portland family (or some of them, anyway). Again, thanks for the invite! I love you all.

NOT SO AWESOME
1. New Rated "S" rides. Why???? Apparently, they redo Small World and the Haunted Mansion just for Christmas, which would be fine EXCEPT the holiday versions both feature those horrible creatures, and really big ones! I will be forever grateful to Shulamith's seven-year-old son, Swen, who had my back all the way: "Her! Close your eyes now," he directed. Then he carefully watched and told me when it was safe to look.

2. Splash Mountain. We were determined to ride this, even in winter, so we donned our rain ponchos and headed over there, but just as we were about to scan our passes and jump in the fast pass line, the ride shut down. It was only temporary, but by the time it was back up and running, it was late, dark, and we were tired. The possibility of getting soaked was no longer appealing. Next time.

3. Lost credit card and missed fireworks. Okay, don't worry. It could have been so much worse. On our final day, Shulamith took my credit card to buy us some donuts, and after that, I couldn't find it. She thinks she gave it back to me, and maybe she did, but it didn't make it back into my wallet and was nowhere to be found. We didn't discover it missing until nighttime, just before the fireworks, so I left Shulamith and her kids strategically positioned (we thought) to watch the display and went to find a quiet place to call the bank and cancel my card. That process, though successful, took quite a long time, so I was just grateful the three of them were watching the beautiful fireworks I could hear exploding in the distance. Except they weren't. Sadly, the spot we selected was too far to the right of the castle, which blocked the whole display. Ah, well, now we know.

As you can see, it was way more awesome than not awesome. We returned last night, exhausted but happy, to real life and full-on Christmas prep. May we remember, as we prepare, the reason for all the joy:

"Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angel sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King."

Do you ever move the day?

Growing up as the daughter of a fire fighter, I thought everyone moved holidays to whichever day worked best. At our house, regular family discussion included the question, "What day will we celebrate Christmas [or Thanksgiving or Easter] this year?" It was far more important to have my dad with us than to celebrate on any certain day.

In my adult life, no one in my immediate family is a first responder, but Gerald worked many years for newspapers that published 365 days a year. Once again, we moved holidays to when we could all be together.

For the past 10 years, we've had kids working at Macaroni Grill, and yes, it's open all the major holidays, including Christmas. So yes, we continue to move the day in order to celebrate with everyone.

This has always been my "normal." I'm often surprised to hear about families that always celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25th or Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. Like every year? Really? What if someone can't come?

That said, not everyone likes the idea of moving the day. Seth, for example, is not a fan. Here's a post about that from four years ago. But I'm guessing once he comes home after two Christmases without his family, he'll be thrilled to celebrate on whatever day works.

This year, Gerald, Amanda, and Eli all worked on Thanksgiving. Our solution was to prepare and eat the Thanksgiving feast the Sunday prior, and then to go to Mac. Grill for dinner on the "real" day. It worked great! That Sunday we feasted on the traditional roast turkey, stuffing, smashed potatoes and gravy, glazed carrots, and deviled eggs. For dessert, both pumpkin and chocolate pies and my own personal chocolate-dipped pecan tart. Everything was delicious. Isaiah flew home just in time for dinner, so aside from Luke, who lives in Maryland, and Seth, who is all the way in Paraguay (sigh!), we were all here.

Thursday, those of us not working went to Mac. Grill for dinner. We got to hang out with Amanda, who served us, and see Eli from afar, as he worked the expo position, calling food orders and putting together plates to be delivered to tables. Eli no longer works there regularly (He teaches 5th grade), but he agreed to work Thanksgiving, and now they've convinced him to come back and work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day also.

...which means, once again, we get to move the day. I believe we will do our Christmas Eve traditions the night of the 25th, once everyone is back from work; our full-on Christmas celebration will be all day on the 26th!

Perfect.

What will I do during the day on the 25th? Chill. Go to a movie. Probably eat and hang out at Mac. Grill with Eli and Amanda.

Moving the day is as natural as breathing. I've been doing it all my life. How about you? Do you ever move the day?