Wyoming Christmas

For Christmas this year, we went to Wyoming to spend it with Ben's family. Halle ended up feeling better by Christmas Eve . . . so we hopped in the car early that morning and made it to Cody by the late afternoon. It was totally different than our normal Christmas routine, and hard for me to figure how to do it . . . but it was fun. The kids had a blast and Abby told me she will "remember this Christmas forever"!

Santa in the past has always brought the "good gifts". This last year or so . . . I have been kind of mad that we have been doing it that way. So many times this last year Abby has said to me things like, "Mom, I am so glad Santa gave us a trampoline last year . . . you guys NEVER would have spent $300 on one". Or the time she said, "I'm going to ask Santa for my American Girl doll, because Santa's elves can just make it in their workshop for FREE, and you would have to pay $100 for one".

Oh and by the way . . . Abby still 100% believes in Santa. She told me this year that kids at school have told her Santa is not real, and that it is really just your parents who give you all the gifts. But Abby DOES NOT believe that AT ALL. She believes she has proof of Santa and stands by it without wavering. It's really fun to have all my kids believing . . . but I starting feeling weird about Abby feeling like she was doing me a favor asking Santa for all the big things she wants.

Maybe I'm selfish . . . but I want the credit now. Santa will still come . . . but this year he brought snowsuits and a winter coat. And that's all he is going to do from now on!

Going to Wyoming made it really simple. We really didn't have room to bring too many gifts. I told the girls that in Wyoming . . . they would only have Santa gifts to open . . . as long as he comes. So we brought our Santa gift . . . but then I brought the "favorite" gift along also to come from Ben and I . . . since I knew Santa would not bring anything to play with. That went really well!

We saved the gifts we had gotten each other and stuff at home to open when we got back. I have to say though . . . it was SO anti-climatic to open the rest of Christmas a few days later. The kids enjoyed it I'm sure . . . I just felt like the "feeling" wasn't there anymore. I felt like I could have gotten away with not having anymore presents to open . . . that going somewhere for Christmas was enough.

As fun as it was, I don't plan on going out of town for Christmas again for a long time. But if we do . . . it will just mean a Santa gift . . . and maybe a gift from mom and dad. No more presents to open at home later. Most times, less is better anyway.

Thanks for having us Fales! Despite how this post sounds, we really had a good time!