Primrose Lane Carolers

​I made a bunch of bags of ginger softies so the Lost Boys could pass them out when Christmas Caroling to the neighbors, this year. They had a blast!  Sloane and Bryn M joined the boys this year. 

At Masza’s they got a real treat! Masza is Polish and grew up in Sweden, so she taught us a Swedish Christmas song and dance and gave us sweedish ginger cookies.  Sloane is OBSESSED with Masza and  now calls her Mormor Masza. She took her an orange roll yesterday and a card the next day, and she was ecstatic when Masza and Richard, now “Bear”, brought us some Swedish cinnamon sweet rolls. They’re besties.

 

No Christmas is complete without a photo of Nita’s Old Navy Porch Carolers! I’m so glad they’re baaaaaaack! Everyone on the lane is so inspired by Ms Nita’s positive outlook on life and her determination to not let Parkinson’s take her joy and optimism. Here are this years carolers with THE primrose carolers! 

Star Wars Holiday Special 2020

We found a busted millennium falcon at a garage sale for $5 and just had to drill a hole through it and add it to our Star Wars tree!  We also added an x wing, star destroyer, and Rey’s speeder. It looks amazing, the boys did a great job! They’ve been cutting out star wars themed snowflakes to hang up all over the room.  

Nativity and Noel

The Christmas season is off to a great start in NWA and the Willy house.  Reese went up and down the lane and personally invited every one of our neighbors to the Nativity and Noel hosted by the Bentonville and Roger’s stakes. We attended Saturday night, and on Friday night, two of our neighbors went with my parents, thanks to Reese’s invitation. 

This was a wonderful event and the efforts of those in charge really showed. The nativities displayed all over the room were beautiful. The live nativity had two sweet mom friends of mine playing Mary each night avdbtheur newborns both made an adorable baby Jesus. The children loved seeing grandpa Hal play a wise man. I think he loved it, too. It was good to see him pal around with Brothers Cabrera and Jensen. I think leaving friends of forty years must be one of the hardest parts about moving to Arkansas. Where they lived before, everyone knew them and they had worked and served abs raised families along side so many peers. They don’t have much of a history of their own here in Arkansas yet, so it was just really really good to see them get involved in an event like this, just like they would have in California. 

The music was good. Really good. The Ozark Mormon chorale was better than I’ve ever heard them before. Crisp. Is that a good word to describe musicians? I think so. They sounded crisp. Everything was just excellent from diction to pitch. It was feast for the ears and heart as the Spirit was felt through testimonies were borne through song. 

The little ones didn’t last. Aaron knew I would love to stay to sing hallelujah chorus (my favorite part of the evening), and generously offered to take the younger three home. I stayed and drove my parents home.

After treats, the girls and my mom and I helped a little with cleanup. Reese and Quincy groaned, but it was good experience for them to be aware of the work that goes into setting up for a large community event. They folded and put away like 300 chairs and were “sore” the next day.   

It wasn’t the right day for it, but it could have been my “honor thy parents” act of service. I grew up with my parents running events like this one. I know the hours they put in. I know they would stay at the church until 1am and not leave until the work was done. I couldn’t get in my car knowing there were 300 chairs to be folded up, when I also knew I had only shown up for the feast and there were wonderful people who had spent an entire weekend working in those gyms to set up, orchestrate, and take down. My parents taught me how to work, so I honored them on Saturday by teaching my girls the same.   

It was a rich evening and everyone there felt the spirit of Christmas. 

Holiday Crafting

Willy Christmas Crafting is turned up to eleven, this year.  It started when I saw this Christmas bed on Pinterest...

Here’s my “design on a dime” version. All that’s missing is....ok almost everything, but changing my sheets sure made my room look so happy and Christmasy... 

Our ward relief society activity was a super Saturday of crafting. I didn’t sign up for anything, and had mom commitments in the morning, but cut and stapled some boards together and went to the last hour to visit and put on a coat of red paint. My mom has a silhouette machine and shared her vinyl stash and we had so much fun making a few things with it. I’m stoked to hang it over my own Christmas bed!  The boys and Reese made rag trees with fabric scraps and wood craft leftovers in our craft bins. They turned out so cute! 

I saw this giant Merry Christmas sign at Kirklands, but it was a fortune. I had enough wood lying around to make myself a smaller 12x24inch version (bottom)for free. I posted pics of some crafts on Instagram and my friend, Jenni, saw them and asked me to put together some things for her shop, The Lovely Ambition Mercantile, in downtown Eureka Springs. The shop opens in January. I’m pretty excited. 

 kids painted ornaments and Corbin spent hours on  a tiny nutcracker. 

Valerie C. taught my mom and I how to make felt flowers and now we’re putting them on all the things! My mom put hers on a yarn wreath and mine ended up in a wreath but on this piece of barn wood. I love it! 

I made this advent calendar a few years ago with Katie G. Each day has a picture of Christ on the back that you flip over.  I have wanted to put a title on the top and finally did one this year. 

I embroidered names on most of the stockings last year, but once I brought Wren home, I never had free hands to finish!  I’m working on adding Mama and Dad to the last two stockings. I cried when I pulled out Wren’s stocking and was relieved I never got around to stitching his name. I would have bawled picking the letters off.   The children insisted we hang it anyway, I think partially because it feels right to put it up, and partially with the hope of having another sibling in our home before Christmas.  I assumed we would have another placement in our home “any day now” for months. We just missed out on two infants the week of thanksgiving, that were placed within minutes of receiving the texts. One went to my friend’s family (a perfect fit!) and the other call came while I was at the hospital getting x rays with Soren today (that’s another post) and couldn’t answer the phone. But Aaron saw the text and HE made the call back to accept, but baby had been placed just moments before he called. The days before Christmas also were a roller coaster of emotions when we were called back on another placement, the caseworker wanted come to our home, but after talking with another family about how strongly they felt he should be placed with them, we couldn’t accept the baby knowing another mother wanted him oh so badly. Who am I to break up that kind of connection? Lastly, on Christmas Eve Eve, we prepared all day for a little boy Corbin’s age to join us for a few weeks. We changed the bedding and filled the bookshelf by the bed with Pokémon and Star Wars. I picked up clothes and made a late night run to Walmart for Christmas pajamas and ethnic hair products.  At the last minute, a miracle, the foster home where his sisters are placed opened a spot and he was able to join some of his family for Christmas. 

I just cannot imagine one of my children being pulled away from the others, especially over the holidays. Gut wrenching. The kids still are disappointed that they “cleaned his room for nothing” but someday, they’ll understand and be grateful for the miracle.  Our part wasn’t and is never about what we actually accomplish, it’s about keeping our hearts open and being willing to love and lift God’s children any time that he asks. 

Anyway, Mama’s stocking is almost done and we still have one hanging and ready to fill with love. Our next family members will come to us when they are supposed to. 

Winter on Primrose Lane

The porch project is done. It's been going on for so long, it feels surreal to type those words. I'm so happy. The weather has been so great, we use this space daily. 

Inside, the trees are up and it's looking cheerful up in here. 

Cute Nita up the street has her "Old Navy Carolers" out, again. 

And this morning, a surprise! The old navy carolers are multiplying on Primrose Lane! A little duet is now perched right next door on Mrs. JJ's porch. It's hilariously awesome. We're all sleeping with one eye open. 

I discovered Mr moose (on the left) sneakily added to my reindeer collection as a thank you gift from Paul and HolleeAnn. Thanks guys! 

Also on my happy list today: hellooooo to another week of warm temps! 

Where the Wild Things Are

This took 2 minutes. I sent the kids to take showers and get in pajamas, while I finished preparing dinner. (chicken piccata. Yum. Recipe here.)

What you can't see in the shot are the dirty contents of the white basket, dragged to every room of the house, blood and bandaids in the kitchen, or the happily satisfied faces on my very naughty little heathens streaking behind me.

Yep. Streaking.

Somewhere between getting undressed and actually getting into the tub, a roll of wrapping paper was pulled down the hall and my (easily distracted) children realized they could "ice skate" on it in their slippery socks.
Socks were all they were wearing at this point. Classy.

All while I naievely oohed and ahhed over my stove top masterpiece in the kitchen, and even made a lovely facebook post about the lovely day and my lovely kids and the lovely giggles I could hear coming from them in the hall (red flag, meg! red flag!) and how lovely they are at Christmastime.

"Lovely ice skating" was actually naked "ice skating" and it quickly became naked "slip n slide", and naked "slip n slide" turned the fate of all activities that involve my son:

Wrestlemania and someone crying. Or as we call it: Kung Fu Corbin.

A wrapping paper tube fight broke out in the bedroom.
Reese appeared in the kitchen with a giant paper cut on her stomach.
Wrapping Paper Slip n Slide was banned in the Willy House.
Q screamed a lot.
Corbin "Hoooooooooy-YA! Hoy-YA!"d until the cardboard tube battle ended.

The children were fed dinosaur chicken nuggets, and went to bed without showering.
Aaron and I devoured the chicken piccata in silence, took this picture, and cleaned up a 2-dozen-paper-snowflake-mess inthe kitchen,
Then we wrapped a few presents with pieces of the "slip n slide".

Elf on the Shelf

We've officially "shelfed" our Elf in one of the zillion Christmas boxes, but I thought I'd share a few more of his tricks.

1) bugles and marshmallow ice cream cones for Elf and real ice cream sundaes for us.
2) Grandma Lynda gave us a copy of "What's Shakin' in Snowflake City?" and one morning, the kids woke up to find a snow globed Elf. He was tricky and sealed himself in a jelly jar, first, to stay dry. The wide mouth jar was filled with water, glitter, and "snow" to make a snow globe. As you can see from his expression, Elf thinks he is hillarious.


3) on Christmas Morning, Elf was reading the nativity story to the Little People nativity set.

Love Your Neighbor

because you don't have mine.

So yesterday, in the spirit of Christmas, the girls and I took some homemade treats over to Keith. When he saw us coming, he ran inside and shut the door.

The girls insisted on knocking, anyway.
Keith (obviously) did not answer the door.
I suggested we play, "secret Santa", and Keith could find the treats later, as a surprise.

Reese looked in the window next to the door. "Why isn't he coming to the door? I can see him, right there."

"Uhhhh....maybe he (hates us) is busy? Maybe he didn't hear us? Come on, he'll find the goodies later. Let's go."

"He's looking right at me...."
We left the treats on the doorstep, and left.

Aaron found them on our driveway, this morning.

7 Weeks

That, my friends, is jalapeno gouda and it was made from scratch.
Homemade cheese, from local milk, and pressed in a homemade cheese press made from locally grown maple.
Tonight, our Christmas Eve festivities included death by cheese.
It was Kasey, in the kitchen, with the cheese slicer.
I am happy to be her partner in cheese crime.

The cheese is incredible. Very mild, buttery, and only enough pepper in it to give a little flavor, but not enough to really be considered a spicy or pepper cheese. Delicious. I cannot WAIT to try the cheddar!

To quote Aaron as he stuffed his cheeks with gouda, "Finally, you have a hobby that I can enjoy! You need to make more!"

The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens

For book club, this month, we read The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens. It is 32 pages long and you can read it here, for free. I thought the piece was really touching, not just because of my personal relationship with the subject matter, but also because of the tone of the text. Charles Dickens wrote this specifically for his children, in words they would understand, with examples they could relate to. It is written almost like a letter, addressing the young children as children and testifiying of Christ to a young audience. Brilliant. One thing that my friend pointed out was that after all that Dickens wrote and was famous for, this was the legacy he decided to leave behind for his children. His testimony of Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer of men. It is the New Testament squished into a 32 page description, in the simplest of words.
It is full of wonderful advice from a wise father to his children.
Be kind. Be good. Be charitable. Be gentle. Be forgiving. Be like Jesus.

"Santaaaaaaa!!!!! I know him, I KNOW him!"

Reese: [whispers at the arrival of Santa] Uhhh Mom, don't you think I'm getting a little old for this?
Me: for what? Santa?

Reese: No! Just for sitting on his lap. I'll tell him what I want, but I'll just stand next to him.

Quincy: "I want an Astrid doll (which does NOT exist, by the way) and a Luna doll (which also doesn't exist) and a Jeannette doll from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Not Britney, Jeannette."

Quincy: That's not the right Santa. He doesn't have a cherry nose!

Corbin: [His reaction went something like this.]
Today:
Me: "Reese, tell me what you asked Santa for on your list?"

Reese: "I want a Eleanor doll and a Theador doll from Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakuel and a Harry Potter lego set, and a canopy bed and a canopy closet like Fancy Nancy's and a Ballet Barbie."

Quincy: That's a lot of things, Reese....[bursts into song] Joy to the World my men come home, let every spirit sing! And M&M nature sing, and M&M nature sing and M-MMM and M&M's and nature sing!"

Reese: "Hey. I was really bad last Christmas Eve and got in a lot of trouble for throwing a big fit. But Santa still came and brought me presents....how do you explain that? Can I be bad this year? Don't worry, I'm not going to, but like if I was naughty, would Santa just come anyway?"

Quincy: Hey, guess what, Santa----

Corbin: -----SAAAAANNNTTTTAAAAAA! Mom! Santa! Mom! MOM! Santa! Christmas trees! MOM! MOM!

Quincy: Ugh, be QUIET Corbin, I was talking! Mom, Santa brings us presents if we sleep good because to remind us of Jesus's birthday.

Reese: it's his birth, not his birthDAY

Corbin: Birthday!!!!! Santa!!!!!

Quincy: That's the same thing if it's his birth then it's his birthday. There is still presents.

On Birthdays and the Christmas Season

"Another December Birthday?"

If only we could all be so lucky.
This girl: Turned seven last week!
When I was pregnant with Reese and would tell people I was due in December (Christmas Eve, originally), the reaction I got about the due date was almost always a negative one ("too bad it's so close to Christmas...").
Unfortunately, I believed those many comments, and developed a fear that her birthday would always be overshadowed by the holidays and she would feel less special, less important, and less appreciated.

Those people were wrong. Dead wrong. If you have a December birthday, and you aren't enjoying it, then you is missin' somethin'.
If you don't love Christmastime, you are also missing something.

The entire month is dedicated to celebrating the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. There is hope, love, joy, gratitude, tradition, charity, and holiday magic in the air.

Reese is one of my greatest blessings. She has given me the one thing I have wanted more than anything else in my life. On the day Reese was born, I became a mother. Her life is a gift that brings me so much joy and fulfillment that no other gift could even measure against it, save the gift of my Savior.
So it is only fitting that we celebrate her during the wonderful Christmas month.

I am glad that she already recognizes what a special and sacred time of year this is. I am grateful for fun holiday traditions, for holiday cheer, for Christmas carols, for charity drives, for warm fires, for hot cocoa, for shiny presents, for inspired sacrament meeting talks and Christmas devotionals, for glowing trees, and for selfless giving.

I am grateful for fattening goodies and egg nog, for exchanged gifts, for thoughtful musical numbers, for ugly sweaters, for naughty elves, flying reindeer and magical folklore, for decorations both ridiculous and sentimental.

I'm grateful for live nativities and Handel's Messiah sing a longs, for elves and gingerbread, for lists that need to be checked twice, for funny Christmas movies, for the Almond Box, for white Christmases, for sleigh rides at the square, for pretty downtown toy store window displays, for Christmas pageants, for school parties, for Festivus, for people dressed up in robes and bath towels on Christmas Eve, for the threat of coal in stockings, and I am especially grateful that through all the chaos and shiny hubbub, that I can still recognize that there is a reverence to this wonderfully busy season.

If there is one word I would use to describe the atmosphere shared between Aaron and I in the moment when we met our baby girl for the first time, it is reverence. Overwhelming reverence radiated from the newness of our baby girl and hushed the adrenaline driven chaos of the doctor and team of nurses rushing around us. She hushed our world.

I am not trying to be blasphemous and compare myself to Mary, or anything, and perhaps only the mother of a December baby can really appreciate the experience I just described.
I honestly feel that my first December baby gifted me a very real understanding of what took place on the most important night in the history of time, when a baby came to earth and hushed the entire world and reverence fell over all mankind.

I am grateful for December Birthdays.
Happy Christmas Birthday to my Reese. On the 14th, we celebrate you, and may you always enjoy your special birthday season. You are thoughtful, eager to please, obedient, organized, compassionate, funny, brilliant, beautiful, appreciated, and oh so very special.

You are a light in our lives. You bring us closer to Christ.
You are our Christmas Star and a breath of heaven.

We love you to the moon and back.

Cheerio! It's Donut Day!

Meg's Wish List

It's that time again, folks!
I have made a Christmas list every year since I was old enough to write. In the Lawrence house, you made a HUGE Christmas list, because Santa liked to have options.

Translation: My parents are brilliant and saved themselves from last minute frantic shopping where they search for "the one and only" toy lest they shatter the dreams of a child on Christmas morning. Santa always managed to get me something from my Christmas list.

Before I go on, let's be real. Everything on this list is a want. All of it.
I have everything I could possibly need for the rest of my life right here with me.

1) springform cheesecake pan. I don't have one. I love cheesecake.

2) giant stainless steel pot for canning and cheesemaking
(Last month, I found one for like 70% off and jumped on it!)

3) 4 qt glass pyrex liquid measurer

I'd just like to point out that so far, all of these items would benefit the gift giver as well, since they would be used to create good things to eat.

4) beach cruiser bike with white wall tires, breaks (muy importante), a wire basket and maybe one of those cute little bar shelfs on the back. I don't own a bike, but I'd like one..but if I'm going to get a bike, I think a cute vintage inspired beach cruiser would suit me well.

5) a counter top compost pail. I often use a bowl, but this system a) looks gross b) can be stinky c) can cause major fruit fly problems in the spring and d) needs to be emptied at a minimum of once a day. THIS adorable countertop compost pail has a cabon pad in the lid to keep the stink in, and prevent attraction of gnats and fruit flies. It's attractive, convenient, and very affordable compared to other models I have seen.

I really super duper want one of these. It's a pain make a trip out to the compost pile for just two egg shells, an apple core, or 4 strawberry stems. I love the idea of just going out there once a day to empty the pail. I checked on our compost pile about a month ago and wooooweee! It's doing it's thing and come spring, we will have a lovely batch of nutrients for our garden. Yippee!

6) the Kindle Fire
reasons:
a) we want a 2nd computer, would love a touch screen but don't really need one.
2) Aaron has downloaded a few ebooks and I don't like sharing my kindle with him.
d) um, touch screen, color, wifi, movies, children's books----that alone opens up SO many possibilities for preschool---I could triple my library!

7) a trip to California. I haven't been home for Christmas in like 7 years. I haven't been to California in a year. It's been a year and a have since I've taken the girls. It is killing me. Literally. Something inside of me dies when I am away for that long. I seriously think I survived last winter because and only because of that 10 mile run in 70* San Juan Bautista.

8) Nothing would make me happier than a "Sold" sign...or even a "for sale" sign on the boat. I'm not opposed to having a boat anymore...I just don't like that boat. Also, our garage is stuffed to the muff. I'd love the extra space.

9) leaf removal. We usually do this ourselves, but dang. I'm tired. I've been tired for 8 months. I spent 2 hours blowing leaves one saturday, and now they're all in the back half of the yard, but I know that is where they are going to stay until next year. The pile is 2-4 feet deep and spans the entire backside of our home. Really. I'd LOVE to have a "professional" come out to do a one time leaf removal job and make all of it disappear, this year. Spring gardening/landscaping will be so much more enjoyable if it doesn't begin with loading and hauling 20 tarploads of leaves.

10) reflective running gear. I have a headlamp, but my little flashing light for my back is busted. I need to get another one if I'm going to do any night running this winter. There just aren't enough hours in the day to run when you have small children at home. Running in the morning is also not an option, since our day begins at 5:30am. I usually run on saturday mornings and one weeknight with a group of ladies after the kids have all gone to bed. It's a blast, but it's dark. I need a new flashy flashy light to pin on my back so I am a little more visible when it is pitch black outside.

11) A 20 ton gas powered log splitter---like this one. Ok...that one is a little fancy. We ordered a bunch of firewood this year, but we have at least 2 cords worth of cut logs out back just waiting to be split. I hate paying for firewood when I know we could have it for free for the rest of our lives if we had the right tools. And free firewood would not just mean saving on the cost of wood....it means a teeny tiny electric bill from not having to run the heater all winter. And now that the place we used to rent a splitter from has relocated and changed business to commercial rentals only...we don't have the option to just rent. But we could rent our own splitter out and get a little of the cash back. Just sayin', it would be a fun tool to have, a wonderful convenience, self reliant, and splitting wood with a giant hydraulic splitter is (incredibly dangerous and a quick way to lose a thumb if you aren't careful) a lot of fun and very rewarding work!

12) last, but not least, The Almond Box. Yeah, yeah, I know I got it last year, but hey...no one else (deserves it) is campaigning this year, so Mom, I hope you're reading this and will jump on board and support an imcumbent election.

Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

That's about it. I must be growing up. This is the first year I feel silly posting my ridiculous "all wants, no needs" list. Sticking with tradition, I posted it anyway. The kids' Santa letters are coming up, soon, along with Reese's birthday posts, preschool posts, a few crafty posts, recipes, more from our Elf, and most importantly, a celebration of the birth of our Savior, who is the real reason we enjoy this wonderful Christmas season.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas.

From the looks of it, Elf has joined Reese in wishing for a White Christmas.

Someone...

keeps making s'mores while the children aren't looking.

Things that are so awesome I can hardly stand it.

This little gem arrived in the mail, last week. It's Aaron's letter to Santa circa 1982 (first grade)In case you can't read it, I will translate:

"Dear Santa,
I was bad when I hit my sister. I was good when I helped my mother with the dishes.
I want a blue G.I. Joe Motorized Sidewinder."

Aaron then tried to claim that this couldn't possibly be his letter in such good condition after all these years.
I reminded him who his mother is, and that she saved everything awesome from his childhood.
He was still skeptical.

Then we turned the page and whaddyaknow... the proof is in the pudding. Or, in this case, Santa's beard:

"Santa, put the presents in the family room, by the tree.

-Aaron Willardson"

and as if that didn't narrow it down, he continues to clarify:
"My house is brown.

Valencia.

25368 Via Dona Krista."

and then he adds a bit of true Aaron randomness,

"Magic Show."

We can only assume this is a Magic Johnson/Lake show refrence mash up.
I did a little research and discovered that in 1982, tv commercials apparently did their job.
G.I. Joe released a motorized (MOBAT) with sidewinders.

If Santa came through, I would bet a fat chunk of change that it is sitting in it's box in Rob and Lynda's garage, in perfect condition, next to a storm trooper gun and a cabbage patch doll.

List Hijacked

I left one of my fazillion lists on the counter the other night, and discovered a few changes had been made to it in the morning. Question:
Could this be considered hand written permission to get rid of the current boat?

Oh Tinkerbell

Reese is twirling around the living room in a Tikerbell dress and singing, "Oh Tinkerbell, oh Tinkerbell, how lovely is my dre-ess" to the tune of, "Oh Tannenbaum".

She has no idea that she didn't invent the tune.
It's pretty cute.

Insert theme song from Rocky here.

***if you are new to the blog, or unfamiliar with the Lawrence Family tradition of the Almond Box and want to read the back story to fully understand the annual Almond Box posts, click the tag labeled The Box at the end of the post *****


A few packages arrived in the mail yesterday afternoon.

Presents!
Ok, I know I'd just said I would be selfish to ask for anything more, today, but I did ask for these.

Also, I don't turn presents away.

Everyone had just gotten up from their naps, so Aaron played Santa and passed out the gifts. We opened a bunch of lovely gifts from my sister Amy's family. My favorite is the puppet theater backdrop. The girls are thrilled to have a venue for their performances, and I know this will get a lot of use by my preschoolers, as well. Also, the running sweatband (that I'm wearing in the video) has a "super mom" logo on it that makes me laugh, because I feel like anything BUT a "super mom" when I abandon my family to go running. I've been wanting one of these bands for awhile, and it is a much needed addition to my running "gear" (scroll down to winter warrior video if you haven't seen it, yet.) Thanks, Oelrichs!

Anyway, there were many many other gifts to open and it was like Christmas morning all over again! I was helping Corbin take the packaging off his new truck, when Aaron plopped what appeared to be a very heavy, yet VERY familiar wrapped present next to me.


I didn't even see who's name was on the tag, but I froze.
Stunned.
Then I smiled.


"I know what that is, Aaron."

"What? That present? It's heavy. It's for you."


"That is the Almond Box."


He said, "no way, you can't tell. It's wrapped!"


But I KNEW. All of the Lawrence Kids know. The distict not-quite-square shape, the spongy feel of the thick thick cardboard, the rounded worn edges.

Aaron had some technical difficulties when video recording the opening of the gift, but it's just as well, as I'm pretty sure I sounded like a spoiled little brat when I squealed, "Eat that suckahs!" or something similar to my siblings.

My parents have never mailed the Almond Box. It has always been wrapped on Christmas Eve, and opened on Christmas Morning. For 30 years. The Christmas after I was married, I made up new rules when I launched my campaign, and declared a "must be present to win" stipulation. I thought it would increase my odds of receiving the Almond Box, since my brother and his wife are always in Utah Christmas morning. Instead, I drastically DEcreased them, since I have only been home on Christmas morning twice since then, and one of those years, the box went to Aaron. I am never 'present to win', dangit!

The familar shaped present sat on my living room floor, and I was near certain that it was what I hoped it was. If I made up the rules 10 years ago, why can't someone else change them? "must be present to win" wasn't working out so well anymore, anyway, since my parents were out of town on Christmas for 3 out of the last 6 years.

Did they really change the rules, and decide to MAIL the Almond Box TO it's recipient?

Bah ba ba bah bah ba baaaaaaaaaa!

YES!
Yes they did! Booyah! Pictured above is the REAL DEAL.

The other new rule my parents have come up with, this year, is that from now on, each recipient holds the responsibility of choosing who gets the Box the following year.

I feel so powerful. Now, I promised myself after last week's confessional, that I try to I'd keep the Big Brother refrences to a minimum. I'm failing to keep that promise, as

I can't help but refer to my nonbox-holding brothers and sisters and husband as the "Have Nots", this week.

Dear Have Nots,
Better luck next year. Let this turn of events remind you that even though this precious box has not had my name on it since 1997, and it would have been another easy year to gift the box to another child, Mom and Dad just couldn't live a lie anymore. They slapped my name on that bad boy and sent it in the mail as a reminder to everyone that I always have been and forever will be Mom and Dad's favorite child. And also that I am the best. ever.

King me,

Meg Almond Box winner 2010

Inside, was another surprise. A real gift! Usually the Almond Box holds something unexciting or lame, like underwear or socks. But my gift was way better than the norm (should I really expect anything less? I mean, I am the favorite and all).

I was incredibly touched to find Grandma Lawrences antique pressing iron inside.
I must say, I admire it almost as much as I admire seeing my name written on the Almond Box.

Aaron laughed and said he's never seen me look so happy while holding an iron.

I reminded him, that according to the new rules, he'd better start kissing up to me a little more, or that box is sure to say someone else's name on it, come Christmas.

He made up for his snarky comment and for not actually recording the fabulous grand opening the Box, by catching this little snippet of the Box and I snuggling on the sofa.

I was a little (very) emotional, and unshowered.

For your viewing pleasure:

Wow.

The Almond Box. Mine, at last.

Just an hour before the package arrived, I'd said that 'it would be selfish to ask for anything more' on this perfect Tuesday.

it managed to get even more perfect!

Lucky Me.

Thanks Mom and Dad! I Love you!