Our Christmas

Christmas, it was such a joy this year.  Well mostly.  Of course we had a few fits from our drama queen.  But, we had a wonderful day!  I love having Christmas on Sunday, so nice.  (And I was very happy that we had 1:00 church!)  The kids did great sleeping in until about 7:30, then we made them wait until Jensen woke up at 8:00 to go downstairs.  Luckily they were so excited for his 1st Christmas they didn't even put up a fuss about it. Here are a few highlights...  

My only good pics of Madi, you know how she is.  She was thrilled to find a La La Loopsy doll in her stocking, espcecially since this was her only toy.  Side note: we've been having issues called- Madi wont pick up her toys.  We've been warning her for months if she didn't start taking better care of her toys she would not get any new ones for Christmas.  She hasn't improved so we stuck to it.  We did not get her one toy.  Trust me this was harder on me than it was her!  Santa brought scooters for the kids, (I didn't get a pic of Madi with hers) so that was perfect- something for outside and our kids have never had them before so they were very excited!  So, the Loopsy doll was the only toy she got.  She was very happy and she is lucky Santa is a softy.  Next she is modeling her new hat Santa also left in her stocking.  And last new books from Budgey.  (She LOVES books so it was something exciting we could give her that was a non toy.)

Pierce with his Transformers scooter from Santa and Star Wars shower set, (Madi got a Hello Kitty bath/shower set, these were a hit also!) and excited about a Star Wars ship from Jensen.

Jensen had a hard time deciding what he was more excited about, Madi's new toothpaste...

...or his new basketball toy from Santa.  Both were great fun for him.  Thank you Santa! 

There was so much to be excited about, it was toss up for him between the wrapping paper, the box his new toy came in, the actual new toy or Big Brother's Star Wars shower decals.  An exciting morning for sure!

After we enjoyed seeing our gifts from Santa, we let the kids open one gift each (one from each other), then we told them gifts from Mom and Dad were for after church.  Even though we had the 1:00 time slot, I needed leverage! We enjoyed a slow morning and a yummy breakfast of  muffins and eggs then got ready for church.  We tried for a family picture and got a moderately decent one...

Then of course I had to take 20 pictures of this cutest boy, here are some favorites...

My sweet little man's 1st Christmas, he really is such a joy in my life and our home.  I am so thankful for him and especially how happy he is!

Can't get enough of those ornaments!  (He soon discovered the sparkly ones aren't that great.)

After a short visit to the cemetery to take Christmas trees to Todd and Grandpa, we finally let the kids open the rest of their gifts.  I actually enjoyed dragging it out, it wasn't all over in the first 20 minutes of the morning, it was nice.

Exited to finally get Episode 6!  This middle pic of Pierce is my favorite!  No, he is not ecstatic over the Costco milk carton, he was realizing Mom had put the transformer he was hoping for in there!  I love tricking him by wrapping things in random boxes!  He was one excited boy.  We gave him Iron Hide and Star Scream, the Auto bot and Decepticon he's been wanting for so long.   

This was were Madi's 3rd fit of the day came, she got pretty upset when she saw Brother getting 2 new toys and she didn't get any.  She was excited for another new book, Fancy Nancy, and new pink boots, and cute new pajamas, but when she opened up the curling I gave her while Pierce was getting a toy, oh my!  She finally calmed down and said she wanted to keep it when I said I'd just take it back to the store.  I just hope she'll learn from this and decide, with out me threatening to take them to D.I., and yelling after 10 times of asking her calmly, she is capable of picking up her toys.  

After gifts, we had Grandma come over to join us for Christmas dinner, we watched our family home video from a few years ago with Grandpa reading from the scriptures while the kids performed the Nativity, then we read a new Christmas story - "A Christmas Dress for Ellen".  If you haven't added this one to your Christmas story collection, I definitely recommend it.  But I'll add a warning too, it's a major tear jerker.  I could barley get through it.  It was a great way to end our Christmas day, a beautiful reminder of all that we are blessed with.  Truly we have so very much and have so much to enjoy.  The kids were very excited to have Grandma sleep over and went to bed knowing the party wasn't over yet!  

Ryan and I stayed up enjoying some time together and looking through my new cookbook, Our Best Bites.  (If you have not "met", Kate and Sara, you are missing out!  Check them out!)  Where we found a delicious recipe that Ryan made for breakfast the next morning!  That's right, he let me sleep in as long as Jensen slept, got up and  made french toast with homemade caramel syrup that was pretty much like the yummiest thing ever on french toast.  Great morning.  The kids loved having Grandma here, between that and the syrup it was like Christmas again.  

It was a wonderful Christmas and a very special one with our new little man to add to the fun.  Not to mention that Christmas with an adorable 7 month old was WAY more fun than last Christmas getting over pregnancy sickness! Much to be thankful for.