Christmas, 2016: Three Questions

With just one week left before Christmas, I wanted to share our annual Christmas letter. This year, I asked everyone the same three questions, and recorded his or her responses word for word. Enjoy!

 2016: Three Questions

1. What is your favorite memory of 2016?

2. What is your favorite TV show or recent Netflix binge?

3. What is your favorite past Christmas memory?

Erichsen-Websters

Seth
1. Today! I saved up $1,000 to buy a new gaming laptop, and it FINALLY arrived.
2. Breaking Bad
3. Late Christmas night 2013, after I had already gone to bed, my dad called me to say he was locked out of the house and asked me to come let him in. When I opened the door, he walked in with my WiiU. It was the best surprise ever!

Isaiah
1. Berlin. (Of all Isaiah's amazing travel destinations for his job, Germany was his favorite. Just ask Mom how jealous she is).
2. NBA Basketball.
3. Senior year in college, when I was poor, and you got me a laptop and a smart phone in the same Christmas.

Terrianne
1. Sitting next to Eli in the temple, and then watching as he was sealed to his bride for time and all eternity.
2. The Good Wife, except I am so furious that Will died, I may not watch the rest of the series. Seriously, I am so mad. If Fitz and Liv (Scandal) ever come back on, and Suits comes back, I won't even need Good Wife anymore. That will teach them to kill off my favorite character.
3. Waking up on Christmas morning, when Luke was three weeks old. Holding him in my arms, as I sat under the lights of our tree while Gerald cooked us breakfast. The little baby who made me a mother, the role that transformed my life and shaped my destiny.

Gerald
1. Spoken like a true introvert: Wandering the sandstone hills of Utah's Snow Canyon State Park at sunrise.
2. I've been unable to find a Netflix series that's as good as those I've already seen. My favorite current show is This Is Us.
3. Watching children show their excitement when opening Christmas presents – specifically, Seth surprised at getting his WiiU when he thought he had no more presents, and Shulamith with almost any article of clothing.

Monson-Websters

Shulamith
1. I have had a really rough year. It's hard to think of a favorite moment because it all sort of sucked. Can I choose a future 2016 moment? Yes, I think I can. I think Christmas day this year will be perfect and wonderful. Swen is 4, and Kennedy is 2, so they are the PERFECT ages for Christmas, and I can hardly wait.
2. Watching TV is my favorite thing to do at night when the kids are asleep. I can't pick just one. I loved watching Suits, The Good Wife, How I Met Your Mother, and of course my reality series Survivor and Big Brother!
3. In 2009, Matt drove up to Montana with me for Christmas, and he surprised me by proposing! I was completely surprised and thrilled. My other favorite Christmas memory was when I was eight, and my grandma surprised me with my own TV for my room. It was the best Christmas ever because I had been wanting my own TV forever. But then, on that same Christmas, in all of our stockings were notes telling us to pack our clothes because we were heading to Disneyland the next day! What?! It will always be the Christmas that stands out to me because there's nothing better than a TV and Disneyland in the same year.

Mathew
1. That one time I found that song that made me feel really good and tingly.
2. I have enjoyed binge watching my emotions bloom into a beautiful bouquet of contrasting colors and intensities.
2. When I had that crippling condition that had me tied to a crutch, and we all thought that things were just getting worse. When suddenly it seemed as though the entire world had a change of heart and my health completely rebounded. Then the culminating moment of it all when I jumped into the arms of that strange man and he lifted me up and I yelled, "God bless us, God bless us everyone!"
That was my favorite Christmas moment.

Swen
1. When we got our new dog, Woof!
2. Car washes (you-tube videos)
3. Getting new Christmas pajamas.

Kennedy
1. Being a princess for Halloween.
2. Blaze and the Monster Machines.
3. (It's hard to have a favorite Christmas memory when you've only been alive for two Christmases and you don't remember either of them, but Kennedy is super excited to make some Christmas memories this year).

Erichsen-Valentines

Luke
1. Having our new house all set up!
2. Mr. Robot
3. Opening presents by the Christmas tree

Desiree
1. Watching Evelyn dance in her dance recital
2. Seinfeld
3. Having my family together for a cozy and fun day

Evelyn
1. Playing with Pebbles!
2. Project MC2
3. Running downstairs to see what Santa left

The Newlyweds

Eli
1. April 8, 2016. Being sealed to my beautiful wife Amanda for time and all eternity! :)
2. Amanda and I have been into cooking competition reality shows lately! Food Network FTW. Netflix though, Breaking Bad, How I Met Your Mother, The Office are always good if you haven't seen those. Law and Order: SVU is one of the best shows out there. Watch it. Almost as good as Survivor! One of these days, this Christmas letter will talk about how I was on Survivor! One day...
3. Last year the week of Christmas, I proposed to Amanda! Also, way back in the day, I got a pet turtle for Christmas! It was my favorite animal at the time, and I was jaw-dropping surprised! RIP Speedy.

Amanda
1. Eli
2. Watching Eli sleep
3. Eli

And there you have it!

May we settle in this week, as day by day, inch by inch, we draw closer to the manger. As we feel the Savior's love, may we love each other better. As we feel his grace, may we be more gracious. As we experience the joy of his birth, may we bring joy to those around us. As we come to understand his perfect peace, may we live in peace, one with another.

From the Erichsen-Websters, merry merry Christmas!