ITS LEGS: Can it be done in a single post?

OG Erichsen-Websters (all except Luke)

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It's 8:09 a.m. on New Year's Eve, and here I sit in my bed. I've been awake for over an hour, leisurely scrolling various websites, sipping an ice-cold Diet Coke that I pulled from my new, tiny, home-office fridge that Amanda gave me for Christmas. Look how cute it is:

This year, my present to all my kids (except Luke, who lives in Maryland and couldn't come) was a trip to Disneyland! We girls talked about this over a year ago, just before Christmas 2021. The conversation went something like this:

Shulamith: We should go on a trip for Christmas some year, instead of doing presents.

Amanda: Yes! Maybe next year?

Me: That would be super fun, but I'd really miss shopping for presents for my kids; it's one of the happiest things I do all year.

Shulamith and Amanda: That's true, but it's just one year. And it would be so, so fun.

Me: Okay! Where should we go?

The discussion began. We considered several possibilities and ultimately settled on Disneyland. We knew Eli would be excited. We knew Mathew and Isaiah would NOT. We figured Gerald and Seth would be fairly "meh" about it, happy to go, though not super thrilled. Based on the different reactions when we revealed our plan, I'd say we were right:

Mathew: This might be the worst idea you and your mom have ever dreamed up.

Isaiah: Disneyland? Super cringe.

We lovingly informed both of them that attendance was required. They lovingly agreed.

Typically I would divide a post like this into shorter, more specific installments, but I need (want?) all the Christmas 2022 stuff to be in my 2022 printed blog book, so I must finish it today. Hence....one post! Maybe I'll try dividing it into sections.

I. Preparation and Travel

Even with fewer presents, moving Christmas to a different state is challenging. The adults all drew names, so everyone would have one gift to open Christmas morning. Then Shulamith bought her kids a few presents, and we grabbed a few for Eli's baby Jane, and those, plus the eight adult gifts, had to be transported to Cali. Most of us were flying, but fortunately, Shulamith and her family decided to drive. We stuffed three large suitcases stuffed with presents into her van.

II. Christmas morning in the Airbnb

It for sure did not feel like Christmas. There was no tree or decorations. No Christmas music played in the background, and there were barely any gifts. But some traditions followed us even to Cali, and one of those is matching Christmas jammies. Mathew's amazing photography skills captured this photo of everyone.

We spent the day relaxing and eating way too much delicious, unhealthy food, including our annual Christmas cookies. Two of those cookie recipes brought back sweet memories. Gerald's mom used to bake gingerbread cookies every year at Christmas. She even cut them out in the form of actual people and used cinnamon candies for the eyes and nose. We were not so fancy (shocking) and just made ours round. They tasted good but not as good as Violet's. I wonder if she baked some this year? Vi? When we lived in Mt. Vernon, my friend Joanne baked shortbread cookies every year and put candied cherries in the middle of each. She gave plates full of these delectable treats to everyone she knew! Again, mine were good but not quite as good as Joanne's.

After eating all this "bad" food, Shulamith, Isaiah, and I went on a long walk around the neighborhood. It was 80 degrees, and we were warm in our t-shirts, a welcomed respite from the bitter Utah cold.

III. Rides

The three days following Christmas we spent in the parks. At one point this conversation occurred between Seth and me:

Seth: Why do you even like it here? You hate Disney movie and never watch them. You don't know any of the Disney characters, and you don't care to know them. Tell me again why you come here?

Me: Two words: The Rides.

It's true that I hate kids' movies, especially Disney, and never watch them. (Just ask any of my kids, who will be happy to lament the saga of growing up in a home with no Disney movies and trying to explain to their friends why they've never see any). I actually dislike all animation....those unrealistic characters with gigantic, hugely-disproportionate eyes. Eeek. Creeps me out.

But I won't lie; I am a ride junkie. I love all rides, the faster and spinnier the better! Fave ride in Disneyland: Space Mountain. In California Adventure: Incredicoaster. We spent three fast and furious days riding nonstop, with barely any lines to wait in, thanks in part to Swen's T1 Diabetes, which qualified him for a disability pass. So many things could go wrong for a person with T1 stuck in long lines for long periods of time: sugar lows, pump malfunctions, glucose monitor failures, among others. The pass made it possible for six people, including Swen, to access the "lightning lanes," rather than waiting in standby lines. T1 Diabetes is a crappy disease, and there is not much good I can say about it, but this pass was one cool perk.

IV: Random photos from our trip!