Christmas morning started bright and early this year. Because Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, we had Sacrament Meeting to get to by 11:00, so we woke the kids up before six to ensure we had enough time for presents, breakfast, and baths.
The kids were excited to go upstairs and see the presents! Well, Sophie was a bit concerned. Apparently, our little Anne-kins was none to fond of the idea of some man coming in the house at night while she slept. She wouldn't go to sleep on Christmas Eve until we promised her that we would text Santa and tell him not to come in the house. We kindly instructed Santa to leave the gifts on the front porch and that we would place them under the tree for him. That helped to ease Sophie's anxiety enough for her to fall asleep. But as soon as we woke her up, she anxiously asked, "Is he still here?" She wouldn't come upstairs until we had promised her that Santa was long gone, and had never come in the house. Not exactly the reaction you expect from your three year-old on Christmas morning! What a funny girl. :)
At any rate, the kids were ready and waiting in Grandma and Papa's room for permission to come and see the loot. The kids had one incredible Christmas this year!
The girls were so excited when they saw what Santa brought for them! Johnny was slower to get into things. I think he was a little peeved about being woken up so early. :) But it didn't take long for him to get into the excitement.
Claire had a pretty incredible Christmas this year. She got to sit on Santa's lap at the Rulon Call Christmas Party earlier in the month, and when he asked what she wanted for Christmas she knew just what to tell him. A hairstyle doll! Santa came through, too! She also got a Nick Jr. Dance game for the Wii to share with Sophie. She was a pretty good girl this year, after all. Some of her other awesome gifts included some magnetic wooden "paper" dolls, a ballerina skirt, a Princess book, a Red Rover game (from Johnny), beauty supplies (from Grandma and Papa), a Unicorn Pillow Pet, and an awesome Crayola bucket of fun!
Sophie wasn't as creeped out by Santa once she saw what the big guy left for her...on the porch, of course. :) Sophie asked us to tell Santa that she wanted a doll house for Christmas. And sure enough, that's what she got! Along with that Wii game she was instructed to share with Claire. She also got a Dolphin Pillow Pet, a beautiful Aurora doll (from Claire), a set of Princesses and Princes for her doll house, a ballerina skirt, puzzles (from Grandma and Papa), and a set of magnetic wooden "paper" dolls.
And Johnny made a haul this Christmas as well! Santa brought him a giant bowling set and a miniature F-35 to enjoy. He also got a remote control car (from Sophie), a big Lightening McQueen car, Cars 2 dishes, a cool set of airplanes complete with guys and missiles, some new clothes, a hammering game, and wooden puzzles (from Grandma and Papa).
But the kids weren't the only ones to have fun this Christmas. The kids and Danny each got me a beautiful decorative hard bound book, which I absolutely adore! In all, I have "Black Beauty", "Huckleberry Finn", "Peter Pan", and "Anne of Green Gables". I look forward to reading these with the kids at night before bed, when they're old enough to understand them. And Danny got some extra special presents this year from the kids and me. An F-14 Tomcat and F-22 Raptor, hand carved from mahogany! They are absolutely beautiful! Danny is getting pretty well outfitted for a pretty awesome looking office someday! He was stoked about the gifts, especially because I managed to keep it a secret this year. :) And from Grandma and Papa we got an heirloom leather bound family edition of the Book of Mormon, with a special letter from them. The book is, well, absolutely gorgeous. I know our family will treasure it for always.
Of course, once all the presents were open it was time to enjoy them! We had some time before we had to get the kids in the bath, so we let them have fun. In fact, Danny joined right in! He particularly liked tormenting Gracie with Johnny's new remote control car. ;)
Even with all the playtime, we still managed to get everyone cleaned, curled, and in their Christmas duds in time for church. I found these gorgeous dresses for the girls, and got matching ties for the guys. I'm going to enjoy this "matching" time just as long as I can! :)
We enjoyed a wonderful Sacrament Meeting with Grandma Candy, and even got to listen to her sing in the choir. It was quite the treat to get to go to church on Christmas. It helped us remember what the day was really about. After church, we went to Grandma Candy's for Christmas #2! We enjoyed giving our gift to Jenny and Matt and their family, as well as giving Grandma Candy her gift. And the kids LOVED their little cell phones from Grandma Candy! Seriously, of all the things they got that day, the cell phones topped them all. Way to go, Grandma Candy!
After the gift exchange, we brought the kids home and everyone took a quick nap. We were due back for dinner at Grandma Candy's, and we weren't going to miss that for anything! Especially tired kids. :) We made it back just in time to sit down to an incredible dinner of smoked brisket, baked potatoes, fruit salad...the works. I didn't get Grandma Candy in the picture, but she was there!
The kids were well-rested, well-fed, and in good spirits! Christmas as a parent is so much fun. It's just incredible to make your kids so happy. Love it!
We tried to get some games going after dinner, but we were all stuffed and lethargic. We Skyped with Heather and the twins, and called it a night. Claire climbed in the car and said, "This is the best Christmas ever!" What more can a Mom and Dad ask for? It really was an incredible Christmas. It was wonderful to be with our families, and it was wonderful to partake of the sacrament. We're so grateful for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We're grateful for the restoration of the gospel, and the blessings of the priesthood in our family. We recognize how blessed we are to be sealed for time and all eternity, and strive to live for that blessing.
Merry Christmas!
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