too much joy

 

I was home for Christmas for 10 days, and I cried every day that I was home. Well, to say I "cried," might be an overstatement. I wasn't exactly wiping away tears, but I definitely "teared up" or "welled up" at least once a day. Celebrating Christmas and a large family wedding (good job, Steve) while having all 4 Nuckols kids home for the first time in 7 years plus the addition of two new sister-in-laws was just too much joy.

I cried when...

...we sang "I'll Be Home for Christmas" at our annual friends and family cinnamon roll brunch.
...we went around the family room and told stories of service and sacrifice for family home evening.
...Uncle John and Aunt Holly gave the two new couples crystal candlesticks along with small adorning Norwegian wreaths and a speech about the importance, value and beauty of the table. 
...Mom gave each of us 4 kids a binder on Christmas morning with all our family Christmas cards and pictures dating from 1982 until the present.
...Ryan and Swantje cried at the Christmas dinner table saying how much it meant to them to finally be with family during the holidays after seven years of holiday hotel work.
...I watched Brenna and Steven grow up and then fall in love in their wedding slideshow.
...AJ, Steven's best man, gave his toast at the rehearsal dinner about how he knew how much Steven loved Brenna.
...I hugged Brenna and Steven after the sealing in the temple.
...my mom cried the entire time she danced with Steven during their first dance at the reception. 
...I watched Les Mis. Duh.
...I said good-bye to Ryan and Swantje at the airport. 

The number of times I cried during those 10 days were far outnumbered by the number of times I laughed.

We laughed when we saw Jeffrey's ballet leap in the above family picture on the beach.
We laughed about all sleeping in the same room together on Christmas Eve.
We laughed when Brenna said "Christmas Steven" instead of "Christmas Season."
We laughed every time someone quoted a line from Elf.
We laughed when a woman in the aisle of Target asked us if we were a college comedy troupe.
Jeffrey and I laughed when, the day after the wedding, we drove around in Steven and Brenna's decorated get-away car and I wore Brenna's veil.

It was too date the best Christmas steven ever.