All is calm, all is bright. Even though the code was broken.

(Photo cred: Mathew Monson)

After a super fun gingerbread house party hosted by Shulamith on Christmas Eve afternoon, I packed up an overnight bag and drove to Eli and Amanda's. Ever since Shulamith and Mathew got married almost 14 years ago, we have alternated December 25th with Matt's family. On the "off" years, we just move our whole celebration to a different day, and while my sons don't love this plan, it works just fine and they live with it. This was an "off" year, so we scheduled our Christmas Eve for Dec. 26th and Christmas Day for the 27th. Before Eli was married, on "off" years, I would usually just hang out alone on the 25th, reminding myself often that "This is not Christmas, and 25 is just a number." (All true, by the way.) Gerald and the boys would busy themselves with the things they like to do: online work, Dominion, video games, sometimes a movie. It was fine.

However, once Eli and Amanda got married seven years ago, they've invited me to spend the 24th and 25th with them on the "off" years, a blessing I never take for granted. This year was especially magical because their daughter, Jane, recently turned two, and this was the first year she had any idea about Christmas. It was joyous! And so calm with just the four of us. 

All is calm.

Christmas Eve night, we ate dinner and prepped for the next morning. Amanda and Jane left cookies out for Santa, and Eli read us all the story of Jesus' birth from the Gospel of Luke. That was my favorite!

Amanda and I wrapped a few last presents, and we all went to bed. I can't say we went to sleep exactly; Eli and I are still like little kids and find sleep elusive on Christmas Eve, but I think we both slept a little.

I woke up before everyone else and enjoyed the quiet house as I sat in the recliner by the light of the tree and browsed all my friends' Christmas posts on social media, smiling at each one. Eli woke up next, and we wrapped some last-minute gifts for Amanda. Then I headed out to Maverik with three Stanleys in hand to bring back fresh fountain Diet Cokes for the three of us.

At around 10:30, they decided to gently wake Jane. Amanda was so excited for Jane to see her "Santa" gift, a beautiful doll house that Amanda built for her. 

It seems she likes it!

We ate the most delicious cinnamon rolls that Amanda made from scratch, and later some biscuits and gravy. In between, we enjoyed watching one another open presents, one at a time, which is how we do it in our family. I've heard other families open their gifts all at once at the same time, but I want to watch every person open every gift!

I went home for a couple hours in the afternoon and listened to Seth talk through some LSAT prep questions. Then, Gerald, Seth, and I all went back to Eli and Amanda's house for Christmas dinner: pork nachos. It was a perfectly lovely (and calm) Christmas celebration Round 1!

All is Bright.

I think we were all grateful for a "rest day" on the 26th, to prepare for our larger celebration. A friend's Xmas card reads, "All is not calm, but all is definitely bright." This is a spot on description of our Christmas celebration Round 2 yesterday, with the entire family other than our oldest son Luke and his daughter, who live in Maryland. With 12 people, four of whom are age 11 and under, there was nothing calm about it. But it was surely bright: bright with noise, bright with excitement, bright with hope, and bright with love!

Tuesday night we opened our traditional Christmas Eve pajamas, this year navy shirts with a candy cane peace sign and the words "Peace and Joy." 

Then we began the process of getting settled for the night, who would sleep where, etc. Matt is the only one who didn't stay over. I don't think he quite understands the joy of everyone sleeping under the same roof on Christmas Eve, then waking up together on Christmas morning, but for a Christmas mom like me, it's the best thing ever.

The next morning we gathered in the basement to open gifts in our regular pattern of youngest to oldest. Except this year something startling occurred. Each year I create a new code to identify Christmas gifts. I don't use people's actual names on the tags, but instead assign everyone a code name. This is because my children are snoopy. Especially Eli. He is the snoopiest. And I don't want them shaking their presents and trying to figure out what they are. For over three decades, this system has successfully prevented that. No one has ever broken the code. Until this year... 

Take a wild guess who did it? If you are thinking "Swen Webster-Monson," you would be correct. How could this happen, you ask? Well, let me just tell you. A few days ago, this conversation between Swen and me transpired:

Swen: Hey Her, can I borrow your phone. I wanna watch a YouTube video.

Me: Sure! (handing him my phone) 

Swen: Thanks.

After a few minutes, I learn that Swen has found the code and sent a screenshot to everyone in the family. The kid is positively unstoppable! :-)

Nevertheless, Christmas Round 2 was awesome and fabulously bright. Gift opening took until mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day we ate good food and just hung out together. Here are some highlights: