The Gift of Time

When Christmas rolls around in the Trickett home, there are many things to put on our list of "favorite things" to relish and savor. We love the constant melody of Christmas music, mugs of hot chocolate in the mornings, and inspiring stories each night. We also love watching the snow fall and magically transforming the trees into pieces of a winter wonderland. The kids all love to see the Christmas tree and become so excited when presents start appearing underneath it. As the days grow closer to Christmas, they will go and count the presents just to see if there might possibly be one more than the night before. :) It's true, Christmas really is for kids - and thank goodness there's a kid in all of us! Well, with all of the things that I love about Christmas, there is one thing that I have recently grown to love and anticipate. It's when my kids begin to ask, "Mom, do you think that Santa will bring us the "Gift of Time" this year?" I always reply with excitement and a smile, "Oh I sure hope so! It's my favorite gift of all!" - You see, Santa Claus began a tradition in our home about 5 years ago, and it has already earned it's place as one of the most valuable gifts our family receives. As a family, we are given not just presents, but a gift of spending time together doing fun things planned out and instructed by Santa himself. It all started when we moved to Eagle Mountain. Clint and I went out to our new home for the final inspection right before Christmas, and Santa had left a gift and a note for us to take home to our family. By the time we had gathered the children, read the note, and contained all of the giddiness, we found ourselves on a scavenger hunt through Salt Lake that led us from a restaurant -to a hotel -to Temple Square -with all kinds of gifts and clues and elves and secret helpers found everywhere and all along the way! There are too many details to write about right now, but I will say that after that year we have had breakfast bags made from scratch by Mrs. Claus herself, tickets to ride on the Tube'n'Train, and Christmas lights galore! - Zoo lights, Temple lights, and Thanksgiving Point lights. (Not to mention plenty of light shining in the little ones' eyes!) - Sleigh rides, surprise deliveries, and piecing together the nativity. Last year there was even a special treasure chest from Santa that was secretly stocked each night for 5 nights with a Christmas story book and items to go with the story so that it could be relived after reading it the next day! -Ice -skating, gingerbread house making, and jars of money secretly given. - Riding in a canoe with Santa, dates with grandparents, and making homemade ornaments together. - In 5 years time, Santa's "Gift of Time" has won the hearts of the Trickett kids both young and old! (Not that Clint and I are old by any means:) But this year, Santa delivered the Gift of Time on December 22nd. It was about 7 o'clock in the evening when he dropped off a gift bag at our front door. It was so much fun to see the little ones get so excited about their surprise gift from Santa! Dallin and Gavin ran in circles from the kitchen to the living room to the dining room over and over again because they just couldn't contain their emotions. Dallin was so sweet as he was making his laps he stopped and hugged me and said, "Mom, it feels so good!" Then I asked him, "What Dallin? What feels so good?" Then with the biggest grin you ever saw he said, "INSIDE OF ME!!!" That moment alone made me grateful that Santa had taken the time to give us this gift this year! Anyway, in the bag from Santa were 3 empty gift bags with instructions for the children to be "like the wise men of old" and go deliver 3 gifts to other families in secret. The first gift had to be a "joyful gift," so we filled it with treats, books, stuffed animals, etc. and delivered it to a family with 3 little girls. Dallin almost lost his boots in the snow running back to the car! The second gift had to be a "needful gift," so we filled the bag with different food items - hot chocolate, cake mixes and frosting, etc. - you know, all of the necessities!;) The third gift had to be a "meaningful gift," so we filled the bag with reminders of Jesus Christ - a nativity, a book, and a DVD (with some treats of course!) Santa told us that if we could successfully deliver our 3 gifts without getting caught, that we would awake in the morning to find 3 gifts from him! So, you can imagine the children's excitement when they awoke in the morning and found another gift bag at our door. In it there was a "joyful gift" of gift cards for each of them to "Build-A-Bear" and a little heart shaped bell to stuff inside their bear to remind them of the joy that they gave to the other families the night before. Then there was a gift card for dinner with their family for the "needful gift," (I guess since we all NEED to eat, right?;) Then their last gift was a reservation to stay in Santa's suite at the Embassy Suites in downtown Salt Lake for some "meaningful time" spent with their family. Carrying out all of Santa's instructions was so much fun, except for the part where we made a detour in the beginning of our celebration. Just as we were all getting in the car to head down to the Gateway, Kierra slipped and broke her wrist! So, instead of heading out, we went to the emergency room. I couldn't really tell if Kierra's tears were tears of pain or sadness that we might not get to have our "Gift of Time!" So, lucky for us, her brake wasn't too bad of a break (if there is such a thing,) and the doctor told us that we could still go and have our fun. I told Kierra we could always go and do our things another night, but she insisted that we had to have our gift of time. So, with a great perspective on what truly matters most, we all set out to enjoy our night. We had fun picking out animals and outfits at "Build-A-Bear" and seeing the amazing fountains and lights at the Gateway. We enjoyed our dinner at the Rumbi Island Grill and took in a little bit of our last minute shopping. When we got to the hotel, we sat and watched Christmas movies and of course a little bit of the basketball game, ate snacks and finally turned out the lights around midnight. In the morning it was Christmas Eve and Kierra's appetite had returned, so her and I snuck out to breakfast by ourselves while everyone else was asleep. When we had returned, everyone was still sleeping so we woke them all and had them go eat. As soon as they returned we all got in our suits and went swimming. (Most of the swimming was done in the hot tub which Kierra enjoyed since she couldn't get in all the way.) When we got home there was yet another note from Santa that wished us a Merry Christmas and encouraged us to enjoy our night at home together as a family. And so we did. We wrapped more presents, read more stories, and ended our night early with the true story of Christmas. It was a wonderful time, broken arm and all. Thank you Santa for your "Gift of Time." When we have each other, we have all we need!

A Christmas concert and a "Gift"

As I thought about the gifts that I would be giving for Christmas this year, I decided to fore go the traditional gifts and just give the gift of "time"spent with a dear friend. No store bought packages wrapped in pretty paper or tied up with fancy bows. Just some good quality one on one time to enjoy the company of a good friend. After all, isn't that what Christmas is all about? Well, little did I know, that an agreement between 2 friends to spend an afternoon together, would end up being one of my most precious gifts of all time. Let me share with you just exactly why.

We decided to meet for lunch at the mall - but this was not to be just any lunch. You see, for a couple of weeks before Christmas every year, the radio station hosts a "Christmas concert" everyday during lunch. Each day they post a list of who the guest performers will be. I was so excited when I saw that the day that we had set aside for our "gift" to each other would have as their guest performer, Paul Cardall. Now, if you have never heard of Paul, his music is beautiful and inspiring to say the least. In fact, it is his music that first plays when you log on to my blog. I just love his version of Silent Night. Anyway, the morning of the concert had arrived and believe me, I had high expectations of all of the many things that I was going to accomplish that morning before I made my way to the mall. -Getting kids off to school, picking up the house, shopping and picking up Christmas cards were all on my list of things "to do." Well, like many mornings with little ones, things do not always seem to go quite as you plan. I always try to be flexible, but this particular day I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. As hard as I was trying, I simply felt like I was only moving backwards all morning and everything that I tried to get "done," very quickly became "undone" by my sweet little Kambriella. The Christmas letter that I had typed up to mail to our family and friends became "history" pretty quickly when she erased it off of the computer screen. The oatmeal that she was having for breakfast made much better floor wax and finger paint than actual food, and the chocolate advent calendars that grandma gave the kids became fun packages to rip open along with all of the presents under the tree. Needless to say, I didn't accomplish much before we left for the concert, and all I could do when I finally got in the car was to strap all of us in and take a deep breath. It was a much needed and enjoyed quiet 10 minute ride to the mall. When we got there, Gavin, Kambriella, and I were all excited and ready for a little "Christmas cheer." As I sat with my friend and waited for the concert to begin, we giggled at the amount of "productivity" that went on earlier that morning. Then, Paul came out onto the stage and they introduced him and welcomed him back to their "Christmas tradition" which he had been a part of for 10 years now, all except for last year that is. You see, Paul was born a "heart baby" just like Kambriella. What I didn't know was how close he had come to death so many times, and that last year he had finally received a heart transplant. So, with the stillness and beauty of his piano playing, he proceeded to thank his Heavenly Father for a second chance at life and for the opportunity to be with his family at Christmas time. He expressed such a simple yet heartfelt message of being grateful for the little things and the little ones in our lives. He spent many hours at Primary Children's Hospital and saw far too many stories with unhappy endings. Because of the closeness of these things to his "heart," he played a song that he wrote and dedicated to all of the "heart babies" like him. The song he played is titled "Gracie's song." As he spoke these simple words and played the sweet song, my heart swelled with emotion to the point of overflowing. Tears came to my eyes and began streaming down my cheeks. I could not stop them from flowing any more than I could stop my heart from pounding and the lump in my throat from growing. I sat and sobbed uncontrollably through the whole song. Sweet little Gavin noticed my emotion and put his hand on my back and his cheek on my shoulder. All the while I was feeling this way, I was admiring my sweet little baby Kambriella and thanking Heavenly Father that she was alive and well, and there to be a part of our family and to share in this Christmas with us. I thanked Him for all of the smeared oatmeal and the tiny shreds of wrapping paper that littered the kitchen floor. I thanked Him for damaged advent calendars and deleted Christmas letters all skillfully constructed by two little hands with a strong will and a "strong heart." This Christmas concert became a gift to me from Heavenly Father who so tenderly reminded me of the important things in life and that it's really not the "things" that matter at all. There were many other special moments of tender mercies and revelation that came to my mind during that concert. I felt for a moment that time was literally standing still as I sat in a mall, of all places, and was learning one of life's greatest lessons. Along with testimony shared through word and song, a man in a wheelchair that needed a little "help" at Christmas, some physically handicapped adults that sang their hearts out - dancing and clapping along at times, the tender sweet smile of a dear friend, and the company of two of my very own precious little angels, Paul ended his concert with none other than my very favorite version of "Silent Night." Yet another tender mercy to let me know that I am loved and known deeply and personally by my Heavenly Father. How could it be that the thought of giving a gift to a friend of spending some quality time together, could turn out to be one of the most precious gifts of a lifetime? Well, that's what happens at Christmas. It happened on the first Christmas and it's happening now. The miracle of the Christ child's birth has blessed the lives of people for ages, and it is blessing my life today. I love my Savior and I am so thankful for the "gifts" that He so freely gives both at Christmas time and every day throughout the year. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Card 2010

“Timeless Memories of 2010”

T raveling as a family to Ramona California this year! Lego Land,
Disneyland, Sea World, and the beach! Fun times for all!
I nstruments of all shapes and sizes filling our home with music and –
noise? :) The clarinet, piano, flute, piccolo, and bassoon!
M a and Pa Trickett and their “12 children” pulling handcarts across the
Wyoming wilderness for a memorable “pioneer Trek experience.”
E venings of “date nights with dad” riding on TRAX and going to the
JAZZ games! GO JAZZ! BEAT L.A.! :)
L asik eye surgery for Susette! Oh how beautiful the world really is!
There are leaves on trees, mountains with detail, and no more migraines!
E ntering Jr. High! Kierra turned 12, loves Young Womens, and we can’t
believe we’re old enough for all of this!
S erving in Young Mens and Primary in our ward and absolutely loving
every minute of it! (And Kambriella is officially in nursery! YEAH!)
S occer, soccer, soccer! Dallin and Gavin have officially found their
competitive sides! (I can’t imagine where they got them from! :)

M any, many mornings taking Kambriella for walks in the wagon! Oh
how she loves to be outside!
E scaping the world for our 16th wedding anniversary celebration! The
Florida temple was beautiful and Disneyworld was amazing!
M any reasons to laugh and NOT cry - such as, a flooded basement,
broken air conditioner, dishwasher, water pipes, and water heater!
O utdoors with grandma and grandpa! Camping, boating, and hiking –
Carew especially loved tubing down the river!
R emodeling and adding on to Premier Vehicle Installation. Business is
growing and we’re thankful to be surviving the economy.
I ncreasing the ability to multi-task! For example, refereeing sumo
wrestling while singing and having family home evening!
E ntertaining children full of laughter, smiles, independence, and
forgiveness. Learning to love and give.
S incere gratitude for our Savior, His birth, His life, and His love. Merry
Christmas to all our family and friends we treasure throughout the year!

All our love, The Trickett Family
Clint, Susette, Kierra, Carew, Dallin , Gavin, and Kambriella

We are Santa's Elves!

On November 18th I had a sad attempt at ringing in the Christmas season with the WORST Christmas concert I have ever attended. But today, I am very happy to say that the Trickett family has officially "rung in the holidays" with the Trickett family Christmas party! I asked my kids each one individually what their favorite part of the day was, and I got the same answer from all of them: "the whole thing!" We had such a great time and it would have never been as much fun if we didn't have some of the funnest (and most competitive) family members around! Our party was centered around an "E.L.F." theme (everyone loves fun!) We had snacks and treats of every color and size! Thanks for all the yummy cookies, cream cheese balls, cheesecake bites, soups, chili and everything else that pleased everyones taste buds and sweet teeth! I especially loved playing the fun games with everyone, and yes, Clint was right. If his mom's team wanted to win, all she had to do was to pick Clint first to be on her team. And she did. And they won. ;) The men made some fierce "Mr. Grinch" faces! And those kids really know how to use their sense of feel, don't they! The pudding up the noses of Kierra and Cody made me glad it was them and not me, and the "stealing of the elf socks" would make a great addition to a wal-mart black Friday shopping game, don't you think!? :) You all make great balancers, builders, and keebler elf cookie monsters! After the games were all over, we had a yummy dinner of soups and bread bowls. It was delicious and I loved watching the little ones try to tackle their bread bowl that for most of them was bigger than their head! From there, we headed off to the Olympic oval for some ice-skating along with all of the other families in the Salt Lake Valley! Yes, it was packed, but that did not keep me from having fun watching everyone try to be brave in their skates, and from laughing so hard while skating with Gavin who would start cracking up every time he would start to fall and then I would hold him up dangling by one arm till he regained his footing! We had a wonderful time. What a magical night! When we finally returned home, we enjoyed doughnuts, cookies, and sweets galore. The children's eyes lit up as Santa knocked on our door and presented each one of them with a new pair of Christmas pajamas! After everyone changed into their jammies, we took pictures and exchanged gifts while a couple of men caught a short nap! (What kind of Head Elf sleeps on the job? Especially when we are this close to Christmas?;) To end the evenings festivities we dimmed all the lights (and added the glow of a crackling fire, thanks to Todd:) and listened to a Christmas nativity story from an animals point of view. It was cute to watch the little ones crawl like a dog, cat, ox, mouse, or donkey and lay down next to each other as if they were soooo tired! They welcomed the Savior of the world to their stable that night, where there was always room for a little one. And so my dear sweet family that I love, let us tuck these treasured, timeless, Christmas memories deep in our hearts and be grateful for them and all that we have as we make room for the Little One! I love you all! Merry Christmas!