Happy Christmas!

This is the first time since we've lived up in Tempe that we have stayed home for Christmas, for the past 5 years we've gone down to Tucson and spent Christmas Eve and morning with the Hendersons. We love being with the whole gang, but this year we wanted to have it just be our little family and it was wonderful. We spent most of the day cleaning and getting ready for Santa's arrival. We had our big dinner for Christmas Eve. Jon cooked the ham and ended up making the whole dinner while I played outside with the kids kicking a soccer ball around. I did help by setting the table, but Jon did a great job with dinner and I really appreciated it. Then we all read various accounts of Jesus' birth in the scriptures, watched a Living Scriptures Nativity video, and then watched A Christmas Carol with the boys while the girls watched the Tangerine Bear in their room. Shazer wanted to go to bed by 6:00, he figured the sooner he fell asleep the sooner Christmas morning would be here, but we insisted that he stay up and watch the movie with us until it ended around 8:30. The girls went to bed easy but the boys were going crazy with anticipation. It wasn't until after 10:00 that they finally fell asleep, Santa's helpers weren't finished until 11:30. I awoke just before 3am and Jon told me he thought Shazer was awake. Sure enough, Shazer was wide awake with his light on and said it was impossible for him to sleep and he'd been up since 1am. I told him to try harder, turned off his light, and got back into bed myself. Then I couldn't sleep. By 3:30 I asked Jon if he was awake, he confirmed, and we decided it was time to open some presents. We woke the girls up and told Shazer it was time, much to his relief. We found it difficult to rouse Shule, more proof of his impending adolescence.

All of the kids were blown away by their Santa gifts; the boys received a huge castle to share and each a new toy knight, while the girls received a baby doll cradle to share and each a new baby doll. It was a great Christmas and we appreciate all those whom contributed to our special celebration with gifts, treats, visits, or well wishes. May you all have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful year ahead!

The tree before the kids.

Shazer was ecstatic about his new castle. It wasn't on his wish list so it was even more of a surprise.

I asked Sally what she was going to name her doll and she said "Ba Ba".

Sally with her new baby and crib.

Shule was as excited about his Pokemon shaped Mac N Cheese as some of his other (um, more expensive) gifts.

Thanks Nana & Pop-pop!

Thanks Tammy & Austin!

Our cub scout's first real pocket knife.

Time for dress up.

Everyone likes the new castle :)

Jon opened our big gift from my mom (I already knew about it). It was a piece of paper wrapped in a box and he didn't have his glasses on so it was hard for him to read. It was a receipt for tickets to Muse's concert in April; they are playing at US Airways with Silver Sun Pickups. Tickets are pretty pricey so we'd been trying to win them from the radio station but to no avail. We're very excited to be able to go.

Woohoo!

Sophie's favorite gifts- her baby doll and a super soft Webkin kitty.