U4ia: 12.17

--> {For 18 months – Jan ’17 to Jul ’18 – I’m posting our letter to Miranda while she's on her mission to Cochabamba, Bolivia. Our letter titles are taken from a list of family sayings & catchphrases we recorded onto a pillowcase she has with her. You can read her adventures on her mission blog: www.hermanamadsen.blogspot.com!}

I have a feeling this week's letter is going to be SO MANY emails long because most of our pictures were taken on the nice camera! Sorry! But it has to be done. =)

This is our 50th letter to you!!!!

So this year, it snowed while we were in HI, and then hasn't really snowed since, so everyone was worried that we wouldn't have a magical white Christmas. But, Christmas Eve, the giant flakes started coming down, and gave us a thick, warm blanket, just in time.

Ok, the traditional picture of Christmas before the giant mess:

And the traditional oldest to youngest stair picture. But kiddo, we missed you so much! For the first time in stair picture history, our biggest kiddo isn't on the stairs! Wait. Maybe I can make this email even longer by posting some amazingness, all the way back to the first digital Christmas morning picture.

2003. It has all 3 of our kids... it will have to do. Look at those feetie pj's:

2004. A 4-week-old Derek; our first year in PA:

2005. Matchy matchy pj's for 2 girls & 2 boys:

2006. Again with the matching. I loved it so much I could hardly stand it:

2007, in the rental house. We left the 9 month old H&K asleep for the first little bit of Christmas morning:

2008. Bam - We're in our house now:

2009. You guys are the best:

2010. Finally, all of you are in the family!

2011: Ugh. Stop growing up:

2012. Connor still didn't remember from the year before... he's about to LOVE his day, but he doesn't know it yet. Who woke me up? Why would you want a picture this early in the morning???

2013. Everyone's just so CUTE!!!!

2014. OKAY STOP ALREADY. Can anyone get any cuter?

2015. The camera was wigging out and it was all white-washed, but I enhanced, and there are people in this picture now:

2016 at the cabin:

and 2017 with the PJ's from Hawaii:

The kids saw their Santa presents. Notice the ukulele for Carlie, and PS4 for the boys. And then I'm not sure if you can tell what the 3 little kids got.

Then we opened our Miranda presents. They were so thoughtful... I love that you could send them home with Hna Geertsen. What a wonderful part of Christmas morning. =)

And the boys wore their ties to church today. Dad was asleep, or he would have worn his, too. We all love our presents SO MUCH!!!

I'm wearing this when I come in July!!

THIS CHESS SET. It is a hit. The pieces are AWESOME!! =)

Ok, I have to interrupt to say that the cats were so adorable with their new catnip toys. For just a second, they forgot to act imperious and disinterested in what we had to give them. They were in heaven, rolling around, throwing their toys and chasing them:

Sibling gifts:

Kierste was so excited to give this to Carlie because she's so into art stuff herself right now.

Halle had Connor, so she got him the Lego set, but also SEWED this blanket for him herself. Now he has his "special blanket" from me, and his "super special blanket" from Halle.

Carlie bought the boys swords & daggers at the Shakespeare Festival:

And then the best part of the day happened. My little girl called from Bolivia. It was the best part of the last 6 months. =) The kids read you their questions. Hahaha!!!

While you were setting up my Christmas present from you & Dad (!!!), the kids opened their presents from G&G Madsen:

And OH MY GOSH. My favorite nativity ever!!!

Daddy stayed glued to his Miranda screen =) And we gave G&G their present from the whole family; decorating their new addition. There was a tear shed...Success!!!

Then, when it was time to go, my sweet missionary daughter bore her testimony to us in Spanish... I'm so proud of her I'm going to burst. And I don't know about you, but when we turned off the computer, we did. I knew you might be doing the same thing, but we just bawled for a little bit.

We opened a couple more presents,

kissed upon request (from the twins, NOT from anyone else - yuck!!)

And BAM. The bittersweet pile of happiness & memories:

Dad & I both had a moment separately, where we took a picture of this. The stockings left on the mantel are yours and Jesus'. You're His right now and doing His work, not celebrating with lots of gift giving and receiving, but celebrating in the most consecrated way possible: just being about His errand. This image means so much to me, and I'm so proud of you:

Tuesday, we went to G&G Madsen's for our official Madsen Family Christmas party. We played Christmas Pictionary, Name 5, and sang the 12 Days of Christmas, followed by the 12 Days of Utah Christmas; lots of food & laughing. =)

Wednesday, the usual happened, at first. It was a day of Lego sets still being put together, and Connor had all his friends over in shifts for about 4-5 hours.

And then we went to visit Daddy:

He is SO GOOD at riding his hover board. Like super good. BUT, his fingers were down by the wheels and got pulled into the space between the wheel and outer casing... and didn't let go. Like a champ, he held the bleeding hand in the car all the way to Daddy's hospital, and angels literally cleared cars out of our way as I (totally watching, not talking on the phone or otherwise distracted AT ALL except trying to calm the little dude down by talking him through it) ran through a red light/ green turning arrow, weaving between the cars (!!!) honking at them like, what the heck? Then another 2 cars - one with a trailer on it - cut me off on the freeway, nearly running me off the road. It was a miracle we got there safely.

This little kid was a champ. You could see him, totally scared, decide at one point to be brave; "Dad, just do it." And then just watch as Daddy shot his hand to numb it, tear the dead part off, etc.

Ugh. That's going to take a long time to grow back.

That night, the kids had all been planning an All-nighter, but the twins accompanied Connor to sleep in his room, so he wouldn't be scared by himself:

While the big kids still tried for an all-nighter. Morgan made it. Here they are being introduced to Batman Begins by Morgan:

Thursday, Connor was up & at-em, doing his favorite thing: working on the Lego sets. Just with a little hardware attached... his splint, in case the bone is broken. =)

That night, to celebrate my birthday finally, we took the kids to Simply Thai, one of our favorite spots. I was so proud of the kids for trying new foods! =)

Friday, we had our cousins over for a late night. They've been waiting all year to come. =)

Then we woke up Saturday morning and cleaned the church at SEVEN AM. I was SO HAPPY at the lack of complaining... I didn't hear even one peep of complaint from these kids... so we ran through McDonald's breakfast on the way home.

Master vacuumer, D-Bear:

The Browns were there, too, and the Barkers. Sara!!

Then we went home and prepared our house for Carlie's party that night... well, we prepared for a long time. Then while Dad helped the kids keep preparing, Carlie & I went really fast to use my pedi gift certificates that expired that day:

So cute, I know:

Then Carlie had her friends over for tons of food and talking:

Tonight we celebrated Alex's 31st bday. This is him counting down, then holding Jack & Kate back while he blows his own candles. Hahaha!

So tonight we're trying to celebrate NYE without breaking the Sabbath... we're bending a couple of our rules by watching Polar Express since the kids missed it during Christmas, and the twins ran over to Talia's for a little of their family fun. Don't tell anyone.

Morgan making spinach artichoke dip, and notice we only have NINE sparklies on ice... don't know if that's enough bubbly for us. And notice the middle child... I don't even know. =)