Christmas Cheer

Christmas Eve

Every year we go to my parents for Christmas Eve. We had delicious food and great company! Saydi's favorite person was, as usual, the "baby". She is so smitten with Channing and started giving out crusty looks when we interrupted her feeding time by taking pictures!

I was surprised that Weston wore this Santa hat the whole time we sang songs and read the Christmas story before opening gifts. He really liked it.

The grandkids always get pajamas and a book and Weston and Saydi both loved theirs.

My parents with all their grandkids that were there in their jammies.

Us sisters got a special gift this year - monchhichi's! Becky had one a hundred years ago when we were growing up and we all tried stealing it at one point or another. So when we saw that they were out again we were all stoked to get our very own.

Unfortunately, Mark worked Christmas Eve and Christmas night so when the kids and I got home from my parents I put the kids to sleep in the living room downstairs with the gate up and when I was finished with all my stuff for the night we all had a slumber party together. I was worried Weston and Saydi wouldn't go to sleep but they both did right away.

Christmas Day

The kids woke up to this on Christmas morning:

When they first woke up we stayed downstairs to wait for daddy to get home from work at 8:30. Then we got busy unwrapping presents. Weston helped everybody unwrap gifts no matter whose they were! Saydi was just happy to play with her little koosh ball caterpillar that was in her stocking and kept going back to that after opening a new present. They loved their tents and have continued to play in them tons!

All the fun of opening presents resulted in this lovely mess. I told Mark Christmas is the one day that I feel like my house SHOULD be messy. It just doesn't feel festive otherwise. =)

Santa fills our stockings and brings us one gift. This year Santa brought Weston this big fire truck that unfolds into this little village with cars to drive around. Too bad Santa didn't realize you had to put all 40 stickers on the truck yourself or I'm sure he would've done it before Christmas morning.

Saydi got this washer with an attached ironing board and iron. It also came with a little vacuum. Again, Santa failed to realize that there were 36 screws that had to be put in place on every last piece of this baby and after I finished with Weston's truck I did Saydi's washer. Next year I am betting Santa will not care about haphazard wrapping of presents, as long as they are put together and ready to play with!

Other great gifts included zu zu pets, movies, a tent for Mark and tools that he asked for, an external hard drive for me so I can stop worrying about my pictures or music getting lost if my computer crashes, and my favorite - an outdoor fire pit so we can roast marshmallows in our back yard this summer! It was a fabulous Christmas morning.

After naps we went to Mark's dad's house for dinner and more gift opening. They kids also get jammies and a book from Sid and Gaylene and candy too which they of course love more then anything. This year Gaylene made all her daughters-in-law adorable necklaces and she also took the time to write each of us girls a letter telling us how much they love and are grateful for us. It was so nice and very appreciated!

The Day After Christmas

I have no pictures from this day but it was full of fun things too! First the kids and I went to Channing's baby blessing while Mark slept after work. It was a beautiful blessing and Channing looked GORGEOUS. She is a beautiful little girl. We had brunch at Miss' house afterwards then came home for naps. Then we went to the last two hours of our ward so that I could do my sharing time and the kids could go to nursery - Weston's very last time in nursery! Too bad they both decided to cry outrageously and hang by my side for all of primary. =(

After church we came home and got Mark and headed to his mom's house for yet more food and gifts! It was fun to visit and the kids got some fun toys from her. Mark got a book about the Marine Corps that he wanted and I got a new makeup bag that I LOVE and some money to go towards re-doing Weston's room like she knew I wanted to do. Gotta love presents like that!

Despite the wonderful gifts we received and gave this year we have been even more grateful for the real reason for Christmas - the birth of our Savior, His life, and all that He did for us. Our holiday was filled with the spirit and that always makes it a holiday worth remembering!