December 2021

Santa in a Tire Shop

"When I woke up this morning, loaded my girls in the van, and headed to get my snow tires put on, I didn’t expect to have my life changed.

Today I cried with a stranger, in the middle of a tire shop.

This Santa Claus visits school classrooms, homeless shelters, hospitals, refugees, foster children, and countless others. We cried as he showed me photo after photo, naming people in them and sharing tender stories associated with each one.

One year, he collected 750 teddy bears which were each customized in some way to make them all different, and given to homeless & refugee children. When giving them their bear, he told them 3 things about it: 1. It came from all over the world and is a little scared. 2. It is lonely. 3. It has no friends. The child would then promise him they would be that bear’s friend and take good care of it. A powerful message for those sweet children who often find themselves in those very circumstances.

We cried as he told a story of a homeless girl who he noticed didn’t have any shoes on, or a coat, in the middle of the winter. He asked where her shoes were and she said she didn’t have any. He said as Santa, you struggle in wanting to provide that miracle of giving them those basics they don’t have. One of the Girl Scouts who was visiting with Santa said, “I happen to have a pair of boots for you that are just your size! And this lavender coat would look beautiful on you.”

We cried when he told of a recovery program event he want to, and how special it was to see children able to see their parents for the first time, often for a year or more, as they worked through a rehabilitation program.

We cried as he told me countless other stories, making the two hour wait fly by.

I cried at his response to my question, “would you say that homeless individuals have a special place in your heart?” (as many of his stores were centered around this group). He told me 7 years ago, he was struggling with depression. His Dad died when he was 13, around the holidays, and it had always been a difficult time for him. He said he was at the point that he just wanted to end it all. His children were all grown and he checked to make sure his wife would be alright, if he did indeed end it all. One night he got in his car and started driving, looking for a barrier sufficient to drive into to take his life. He never saw one. When he got home, he decided that things had to change and he sought out help. One of those places was a rehabilitation gym. He now has hundreds of friends who were in a recovery program, and often found themselves on the street before they were able to get help.

Towards the end of our visit, Brielle was wanting to sit on my lap, which was occupied by an unhappy Madeline. Brielle was warming up to Fred but still pretty apprehensive, so he offered to hold my crying baby. Shortly after, my name was called, so I went to the counter to pay. The shop was suddenly filled with the low whisper of him singing a Christmas hymn, to my sleeping babe.

While repacking a diaper bag, emptied by a busy 2 yr old, I told him how much I admired him and how I was happy he never found a barrier that day. I thanked him for how many lives he has touched and for touching mine. We gave each other a hug and I walked out of the store, only to cry some more in my car as I sat behind the steering wheel, reflecting on what I had learned.

Love was born in a stable, something we think of often at Christmas time.

Love is also born through selfless acts of kindness, listening to a stranger’s story, and sometimes even a Santa Claus in a tire shop."

Madeline's blessing 

It was a busy day! Lehi gave Madeline her baby blessing, surrounded by friends and family. Tyler pulled me aside afterward and said, "I don't know if you could see, but Madeline just stared at Lehi the whole time. It was the cutest thing." She is such a sweet soul and we are so grateful she made her way into our family. 

While I would have some type of treat for after the blessing, just being my hostess self, it looks like I went all out. In reality, it was mainly due to the Thomas family Christmas party happening, immediately afterward.

Thomas Christmas Party

We ate. We played the saran wrap game (courtesy of Gigi & Poppi), did a gift exchange, decorated cookies, and played Christmas Pictionary. The kids loved the saran wrap game, with Maverick making bank with his incredibly fast skills with unrolling the ball. Brielle and Beckett even got a turn (with some Mom and Dad help). Lincoln even gave Brielle his Elsa crayons (or Yelsa crayons, as Brielle would say). 

Gingerbread houses with a Suppository Side

Ronnie and I got the kids together to do gingerbread houses.  I had a kit left over from last year and Ronnie scavenged her pantry for candy/other items to add. Together, we had quite the assortment to pick from. The kids loved it. Brille kept sneaking candy off other people's houses, and Ronnie gave Madeline her first-ever suppository (which worked quite well). 

Dallin/Cole's, Mav/Linc's, the Twins'

Christmas Eve

We had a Christmas Eve dinner with the Lovell fam and Moses, Tyler's co-worker who didn't have any family in town and needed a place to do. We were happy to have him over! He was great company. We played Code Names (Alex and I wiped the board with Team Lehi/Tyler...3 times in a row). 

After the company left, the boys helped us tell the Christmas story with our Nativity set (it was darling), we listened to Grandma Thomas read her favorite Christmas poem, and everyone opened one Christmas gift. Maverick opened his gift from Lincoln (an assortment of Dollar Store treats), Lincoln got Lincoln Logs,  and Brielle I can't remember haha! We attempted a cute kid picture, took what we could get, and put the girls' to bed. Maverick and Lincoln were very concerned we didn't make cookies for Santa, but we busted out the butter cookies and made sure to put a plate out along with some milk. 

Lincoln got sad during Grandma's poem reading and told me he would say why after snuggles, said he was thinking of how they put nails in Jesus' wrist and how he thought that might happen to him someday. We talked about how that wouldn't happen, how he was safe, and how we could love Jesus for what He did for us. 

Christmas morning 

(Mav) Can I get the blue raptor? (Linc) No. But I'll share it 

Brielle pulled out candies one by one from her stocking, inspecting the contents. She pushed the Elsa tower button and danced..over and over and over. And consumed entire stocking contents within a few hours.

Lehi told me he saw me taking a picture, so he flexed (see if you can spot it)

Lincoln got me a box of my favorite candy at the dollar store (which he tried really hard to buy with his own money, as sneaky as he could, when I was at the store with him. He had a dollar left, so he taped that to the box for me, too. Maverick bought me hand-sanitizer there as well. They were pretty darn cute (trying) not letting me see what they were getting. They were so excited when I opened them.

Uncle Matt came to visit--Brielle climbed next to me and snuggled in. I asked,"What's your deal?" to which she responded, "Uncle Matt." (she warmed up eventually). 

Matt gave us the perfect gift, a popcorn machine for the theater. The boys started by opening popcorn kernels and butter. They thought it was a strange gift. Then they opened the machine.

Matt also got the boys Spy bots. Lehi said, "Oh, they won't get into any trouble with those." Lincoln, grinning said, "Yes we will." 

Matt--does this work? Lincoln talked into the earpiece "yes" 

Poppi and Gigi hung out with us for the evening, playing the card game "Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheeze, Pizza." It was a hoot to watch!

Quotables:

Mav being an extra big helper--"I hope I get on the Good list" 

Lincoln told Lehi he (Lehi) was probably on the naughty list because he was mean to them a few days ago

Mav crying that he missed school and his math problems and Mrs. terry and his friends, due to the Christmas break 

Brielle saying Grinch and knowing him and Baby Jesus, clear as day (Jesus started as baby Maddie) 

AZ Trip 

We were crazy enough tot drive to AZ and surprise Dad, Mom, and Kristina's family. Bobo knew we were coming and help coordinate our arrival. The kids all did so good in the car. We stopped at Rasin Canes for dinner before headed to Kristina's. Tasha pretended she left something outside, let us in, and laughed at Kristina's "oh crap, why are you here?!" face when she saw us. Madeline got seriously spoiled with all the cousins, aunts, and uncles to hold her. 

The pictures pretty much speak for themselves. We played games (Hot Seat, Nertz, and Banana Grams amongst the most popular), swam at Debbie and Roger's house (the kids picked a ton of oranges while there...we might have filled Lehi's scuba bag with a bunch), hit up Urban Jump, had a birthday party for Tayson, went to a park, I got dry needled/had traction at the clinic (seeing it for the first time) and Brooklynn even painted my nails with the acrylic set she got for Christmas. Lehi scuba-dived one day with Lovell Bros. Dustin even made his famous salsa for us. We packed it all in during the short 4 days we were there.

Other honorable mentions:

Bobo messing with Mak's hair, (Mak) "Don't! You'll ruin my mullet!"

Brielle got pink eye (luckily the second to the last day--Brook was able to call in a prescription for us, bless her!) 

Bobo and I ran to get Brielle's RX at Walgreens and stood in line forever to get it. Then she grabbed a soda for Andrew. While checking out, someone else walked out the doors and they beeped. The cashier (a young teenager) said, "I don't get paid enough to care." We died. 

The fool, Bobo, forgot her score in THE VERY LAST ROUND FOR THE WIN. We determined I would have won regardless, so I did forgive her. We laughed out butts off.