A Holiday in the desert.

The text from Kelli said only, "Are you ready for Christmas?" I had been enjoying having my girls home from college and watching Hailee and Kate (Kelli's oldest daughter) banter easily back and forth. Hailee was preparing to take Kate to the airport so she could join her family for Christmas in their new home state of California. I knew Kelli was staying with her in-laws while they did some small rennovations to their little beach home and Kate was mulling over the meaning of the words, "going home."

I paused to quickly text back, "I am having a hard time getting in the spirit of Christmas. My mom is gone, my sister is gone, we're living in a rental without Christmas decorations and I don't want to spend money." Kelli responded, "Good thing I didn't call. I'm experiencing the exact same things. We probably would have both just ended up crying."

It was a different Christmas without my entire extended family gathered around me. I missed the energy and excitement of planning and people. I can't remember the last time we didn't spend Christmas Eve or Christmas day or even New Years Eve together. I loved the memories and traditions that we had created together. To have to create new memories and traditions that didn't include all of them seemed daunting and, well, not fun. I reflected on my Christmases as a child. Most were in various parts of the world, before unknown, with my parents and 3 siblings. Extended family far away. They were warm and wonderful memories. Never before had I had such appreciation for the solitary efforts made by my mom in creating those feelings and memories. She herself far away from loved ones and extended family and years and years of established extended family traditions. I know it could not have been easy and yet never once did I hear her whine or complain. Deep down, I knew that having just my little family gathered around me was an amazing opportunity. And so it was that with no other family obligations or opportunities, we surprised the kids with a quick getaway to Arizona.

From Christmas day to New Years Day we soaked up the warmth and each other. It was a perfect week. And a whole lot of fun.


Non-fat, vanilla steamer. My fav.
Finally. Christmas decoration. At the hotel. Hailee called this "The Band Photo" because it looked like the cover for a music group.
Waiting for a table. I have lots of pictures with Gabe resting his hand on Jordan's round head.

Gabe had a hard time putting his new book down. Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans. He would like to talk Steven Speilberg into making it a movie.

New Years Eve at the Mesa temple.

Headed home.
...all pictures were taken with my trusty iphone.