Our First Christmas in our Home

Christmas Eve night, the women played "Santa's elves" and braved all the other last-minute-shoppers at Wal-mart. We each bought a few items for everyone's stockings and kept it a surprise. . . and there were indeed some surprises in those stockings, a couple of the adult nature that had everyone laughing Christmas morning.

 Dan, Erica, Aiyana, Ryan, Emily, Addie, Patrick, Lynette, and their dog, Chip. It made me happy to see so many stockings hanging in our home.

 I just love how Christmas trees look with all the presents. That sounds so greedy but it reminds me of the childchood excitement of realizing Santa came, and how magic is real after all . . .

(Thank you, Jamie S. for the beautiful little angel and the symbolism behind it)

Good MORNING, Christmas! With church at 11am, we put presents aside and enjoyed a yummy breakfast of cinnamon rolls, quiche, oranges, and juice.

 Some of us were more awake than others . . . (I think I have a picture of Pat like this for the last few Christmas mornings we've had together!)

 Lynette showed him up just a little bit

While we were enjoying breakfast, I found little Aiya enjoying a treat of her own. I think her big cousin might have helped her out with this one. She was sucking that thing like it was the best food she'd ever eaten. Too bad Mom had to ruin it and eventually take it away.

 Sometimes being cooped up in an attorney's office can just become too much.

 By the time we came home from sacrament, it was nap time for the girls. They were a little too pooped to enjoy present for too long.

 Sleepiness aside, the real reason Addie became distracted from all her presents was finding all the adults' stockings and stealing the candy as fast as she could! Presents? What Presents? I got candy!

 Dan was really pleased to receive one of his Dad's old hammers from Sandra. Special.

We enjoyed Christmas dinner with Jake, Carrie, Lila, Calvin, and Sandra with so much good food and waaaay too much dessert that lasted throughout the week and into our stomachs. I think I'll stay off the scale for a couple weeks while I recover!

It was a wonderful Christmas to further break in our home with happy memories!