A Christmas full of smiles!

The kids drew names this year, it was cute seeing the gifts they bought each other… Trevor gave Sage a soccer ball, and Nick got a watch for Sophie, thrilled! The girls gave Nick & Josh some skullcandy headphones.

Trevor happy with his BYU beanie, and Josh- socks?? Well, you asked for them :). Then he found this letter in the tree…

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a car… :)

We have been looking, but have not been finding. So this is a coupon worth $$$$ toward the purchase of a car. We’ll help you find one soon.

Love, Mom & Dad

Art supplies for our little artists

My happenin husband got an AE hoodie. Looks great on him! I also got him a large standing tool chest for the garage.

The handoff

Trevor scored! He got new snowboard boots from Josh, and a guitar! Just in time for his guitar class in school this semester. One happy boy.

My sweetie surprised me with a gel foam mattress topper, since our new bed is so hard. It is sooo comfy! He also spoiled me with a laser measurer for work (so nice), and a beautiful antique chevel mirror, I like it although it makes me look fat :). Thanks hon! Nick wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want many pictures, but he received a new guitar (his old one, which is still very nice, went to Trevor [above])

Sage didn’t think Santa got her what she really wanted. Then she saw the note in the tree…

Sage, You wished for it, and you got it! Remember to share your wonderful present with your family… Go look under the tarp in the trailer. (I’m too old to carry it in, and the reindeer couldn’t help.) Love, Santa

She got the trampoline that she wanted so badly, since we left our old one at our old house.

It’s not about the gifts, but giving makes it special, we’re thankful for those opportunitites. Merry Christmas to all!

Mean mom…

After being so patient and reverent in church, the kids were excited to come home and open gifts.  Sage told me “mom, no talking to anyone after church”  ha, ha.   When we got home, I hustled in the house and made a quick change, then told them that stockings were first.  They ran to their stockings and found this…

“Is this COAL?”

“Have we been bad?”

Really?

Ha, Ha- JK.   picture this with my eyes open.

Love them tons! 

poor Nick’s been a little sick, took some Nyquil last night

Christmas Eve & Cookies for Santa

Santa’s cookies & milk and carrots for the reindeer were gobbled up Christmas morning with a thank you note from the big guy. Weird to think this may be our last year doing this, our girls still believe, but may not be much longer, they have many questions. Since Christmas was on a Sunday, we went to church first thing, then home for gifts. Love when Christmas falls on Sunday, only happens every 7 years.

Christmas Eve morning started with some special visitors, visiting from CA. So great seeing Danny & Lindsay!

I had to send Lindsay this pic of my clean kitchen shortly after they left, since they saw it so messy as they toured our new home. Still unpacking and things get cluttered fast with everyone home and a busy week. I told the family Santa can’t bring gifts in a messy home, everyone pitched in for a fast clean up.

Yummy Christmas Eve dinner with Chocolate Tuxedo cake for dessert.

I baked Lion House recipe banana bread w/ chocolate chips for neighbor gifts this year, delivered in a Christmas loaf dish (on the right). I figured I can handle it this year since we don’t have too many neighbors yet :).

We had a few other special visitors throughout the day, opened up new pj’s, and colored in new gigantic coloring books while sucking on candy canes (fun childhood traditions). Grandma & Uncle Mike dropped by with some filled stockings for the kids and $$ gift for the boys (just what a teenager wants). After dinner we read a few Christmas stories, and Luke II. So fun to celebrate His birth! Before going to bed, Sophie said “mom, today was a perfect day!” Made it all worth it.

Magical night

at Temple Square 

Christmas wouldn’t be the same without coming here to see the lights

We enjoyed watching my sister-in-law and nieces sing in the Assembly Hall, so peaceful!  Then my nephew introduced the girls to the Clydesdales.  He drove these horse drawn carriages last winter. 

Nick & Amber (my cute niece) catching up.  Trevor recently came here with his Scout group and was excited to show us this short dramatization on families.  He talked us into it, although we hadn’t seen the nativity yet, but what a neat film.  Afterwards, the young sister missionaries gathered around us and we had such a nice chat.  One from China, one from Finland, and the other from the states.  I’m sure they’re missing their families this time of year, they seemed to enjoy ours, and we enjoyed their visits.  The girl from China was thrilled to meet Sophie and Sage and they wanted to know about our experiences.    

I left home quickly without my warm coat, so Paul insisted I wear his (we chuckled since it reminded us of our college days in cold Rexburg, I always wore his).  Josh had to work, so we met him afterwards and grilled up a steak dinner with the whole family.  Such blessings! 

Merry Christmas! 

Decking the Halls…

Kids home from school, nice break from work, enjoying the season with my family.  Can’t wait to bake in my new kitchen!  at least there’s a few rooms totally unpacked

Sophie, must be deciding what to get her mom & dad for Christmas :)

That’s one way to fix a crooked star.

Sage and her cute ruffles

Lovin’ Christmastime

Christmas Card Outtakes...

Nice and formal, but don’t like the brown wall for a backdrop, looks muddy.  Bruno was cute/ funny and  determined to be in all the pictures :)

Reality- behind the scenes, Sophie tripped over her dads foot.

We only had a short time for pictures before Nick headed back to college, so good seeing him!

My camera (above and below), it takes cooler more vibrant pictures for indoor settings, should’ve used it for the others

 

Cards that didn’t make the cut…

Our future architects & designers…

nice detail and finish work

These next few posts have to be speed blogging, so I don’t skip posting about our Christmas. We’re enjoying our new home, all unpacked and settled in- ha, I wish! It’s pretty crazy moving a large family, but we had wonderful help with the move (blog about that soon), and we’re getting unpacked, settled, and really liking our new home & area. We didn’t move far so our kids are in the same schools, they’re very thankful!

We moved a few days before Thanksgiving, so I’ll share our Thanksgiving mishaps, I mean happenings soon, so thankful my mom cooked this year. We had fun decorating Gingerbread houses the other day…

We thoroughly enjoyed having Nick home for the week-end!

Sage’s decorative rooftop, Trevor made a Santa out of his gingerbread man

Merry Christmas!