Christmas 2011 - Dear Santa

 Dear Santa - I want L-Drago this year and please give me a DS for Christmas.  I really want those two things.  Senirly, Josh

 Santa's Reply

 Cute kiddos coming down the stairs Christmas morning

 Digging into the stockings

 Josh gets a Marble Run!

 Indy gets a tennis ball!

 The Haul

 My cute family

 Opening presents

 Sweet baby girl excited about her beads

 A baconator/Bacon Explosion - whatever it was, it made me hurl

 The Newlyweds!

 Putting together Josh's Marble Run

The Marble Run is complete!

Christmas Eve 2011

Our tradition is to have Christmas Eve at my mom's house every year.  When I was growing up we never had Christmas at our house, so we created a tradition to always have Christmas Eve at her house from now on.  We make Mexican food every year and somehow we always manage to have Santa show up! 

The kids table - they are all looking at Santa

Santa and Josh

Santa and Hailee

Santa and Clara

Santa and Tyler

Santa and Spencer

Santa with the kids

The grownup table

Dave and Marty

Lighting the Luminarias.  Usually it is too cold and windy so it was fun that we could do it this year.

Eric (cousin) and Aunt Karen (mom's sister)

Clara and Josh

Eric the wiseman

Marc and Eric dressing up as wisemen

The beginning of the Nativity with Mary (Hailee) and Joseph (Spencer)

The kids were very solemn as the grownups took turns reading from the Bible and Book of Mormon.

The kids

The Nativity

After the Nativity, the kids opened their Christmas pajamas

This year we got our pajamas at Disneyland. 

 

 Dave and I had matching pants.

We wrapped things up by opening presents with Aunt Karen and Uncle Jack.  It has been great to have them come up the past few years and join us.  Most of my Christmas Eves growing up were at their house or other aunts and uncles. 

Christmas Eve Breakfast

A few years ago we started a tradition of going down to my dad and step-mom's house Christmas Eve morning.  We go in our pajamas, eat breakfast, and open Christmas presents with them.  It gives us time to spend with just them, where normally it is the whole family. 

Clara, Dave and Josh opening presents

This year the kids got a bunch of Wii games from their grandparents. 

I got the best present of all!  A binder to put all of my veggie recipes in from now on.

Ama Georgia, Josh, Papa Kirk, and Clara

Gingerbread House

The other fun mom thing we did was make gingerbread houses.  I hate making these because they are sticky and because there is a chemical in the frosting that creates intense cravings if you lick your fingers. 

We started off with a kit.  I'm just not THAT fun.

We did one side.

And then the other.  Fun with fondant. 

And then we were done.  Dave was with us, I should add.  So this was a fun dad moment, too.  I am sorry that we left the pantry door open in this picture and that the kitchen was a disaster. 

Short Person Syndrome

When I hang out with some of my friends, I am the short one.  I am 5'5" so that tells you how tall these women are.  We met at Brio for dinner and to catch up because it had been too long.  I love these women.  They are strong, independent, opinionated, and amazing! 

Me, Jen, Cynthia, Rachel, Rochelle

After dinner I went shopping with Rachel and Rochelle and we met up with Rachelle and Tonya.  Yes, you read that right!  Rachel, Rochelle and Rachelle.  We also have two Jennifers, but the other one lives in Tulsa and couldn't fly in for the night.  We also have a Sally who was there earlier, but had a family party to go to.  Every single one of these women have been through some big challenges in life.  It is a powerful testament to the strength of women!  I am so grateful to count them as friends.