Secret Santa

With all the craziness that is going on right now with our schedules (business, basketball, callings, finals, etc.) I have been working hard on trying to keep our lives balanced and make sure that the things that matter most are still happening.  We have done a Christmas book tradition for a few years now.  We read a book at night (usually wrapped under the tree) and then do a fun activity to go along with the book.  Some times the activities involve time and some times they are quick, easy things to do.  This year I have to make some adjustments to our tradition.  I didn't wrap the books this year and we don't read one book a night.  We also don't do an activity with each book.  But we have chosen some we think will still allow us to have fun and help us have the Spirit of Christmas in our home.

One activity that Will really wanted to do was the Secret Santa.  Last year we just chose names and then went to the store and bought small gifts for the person we had (with a five dollar limit).  This year we chose early so we could do service throughout the week.  On Saturday we will take our five dollars each and purchase a little gift to end our week of Secret Santa fun!  

It has been so much fun and brought me so much joy this week.  It's been a very emotional draining week with some setbacks we have been experiencing and created a lot of doubts in my mind as to whether we should continue doing this business.  That sounds so silly, being only the first week that we have opened our etsy store.  It seems like we are giving up too quickly (we aren't giving up yet) but the truth is we don't NEED this business.  It isn't our livelihood.  It is something we hoped to help us pay for missions mainly.  Anyway, while I've been discouraged about the business these cute little Secret Santas have been sneaking about the house bring cheer and joy on every corner.  

I think Eli is my favorite one.  He has Will.  He is an awesome Santa (perhaps not the best Secret Santa).  He is trying to be super sneaky but really he isn't very good at it.  He is, however, an awesome Santa!  He has made Will's bed, left him candy, drawn him pictures, and left coupons.  His picture was so adorable.  He drew Will on a throne with a caption that read:  "Will is the best prince ever.  He should be kind."  That is not spelled as he spelled it but it was so cute and thoughtful.  His coupons are pretty awesome too.  He left one for a free pass on cleaning his room and another coupon that was just free.  He said, "He won't know how to use it because he doesn't know who his Santa is."  Ha, ha.  We laughed and laughed.  My favorite of his custom coupons is the one that can be used for one free night of quiet.  Will gets so annoyed when he is trying to read his book at night and Eli keeps talking and talking to him so Eli is generously giving him a free night of not having to listen to him talk!  Will completely knows it is Eli but has been playing along.  He says, "Man, my Secret Santa is the best!"  

Mike found a baggie on his pillow last night from his Secret Santa that had a marshmallow, graham cracker, and chocolate.  It said, "We need S'more people like you in the world!"  Eli and Isaac have found some cool wooden BYU decorations on their pillows and coupons for extra minecraft playing time as well as treats left in backpacks.  

Piper is mostly left out of the fun because she doesn't really understand what is happening.  She just likes people to let her get in the bathtub and take a bath or read her books.  She has one of her brothers so Mike and I are helping her with her Secret Santa tasks.  

The other night I went upstairs to look for a library book.  I looked in all the rooms and then realized that Will was not in his bed or any of the rooms.  We were wondering what happened to him and I went into my room and heard a rustle in my closet.  I asked him why he was in my closet and not in bed.  He started crying, explaining that he was folding laundry and putting it away when he heard me come upstairs.  He hid in the closet for fifteen or twenty minutes waiting for me to go back downstairs but then I found him and now I knew who my Secret Santa was!  He was so disappointed.  He told me he prayed that I would forget who my Secret Santa was, and did I think that was possible?  I told him I though anything was possible.  The remainder of the week he has been asking, "Mom, do you know who your Santa is?"  I always tell him "no" and he either believes me or is trying to pretend he believes that I really have forgotten.  

Last night was pretty awesome.  We went to bed around midnight (finals and the business have made for late nights around here) and woke up at 6:50 AM this morning.  Under our door was a note (copied exactly as it was written):

Dear Adrianne,

Do you know how much love you?  You amazing person I have ever met, and you always will be.

I know that you have been feeling crestfallen about the business but you shouldn't be.  You are the best man (woman) for the job and no one and I mean no one could even try to.

Love your secret santa.

I am not sure that I could even put into words how touched I was by his sweet note.  I am not sure when he typed it up but I'm fairly certain he woke up sometime in the middle of the night, turned on the computer, typed up the note, printed it off, turned off the computer and slid it under my door before going back to sleep.  

I am so thankful for my sweet, thoughtful children.  I am grateful that we didn't decide we were too busy to keep some of these traditions.  Will's note was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits.  I will glue it into my journal today and always be so grateful for my wonderful boys.