Over In A Flash!

It seems that we spend so much time getting ready for Christmas and then it is over before we know it.  But it doesn't make it any less fun and fun is what we had this year.

I love Christmas.  It isn't just one thing that makes it so great, but a combination of things.  And without one of those, it wouldn't be as great.  Those things are: 

The lights....the Christmas music....the tree and all the ornaments....the traditions....the kids....the food....being with family....the Christmas stories....Christmas cards and letters from family and dear friends....love and togetherness....and above all, the spirit of Christ that seems to radiate the most during this season.

I really hate not being able to go "home" for Christmas every year.  That is not a luxury we have in my family as my hubby's work is the busiest the last few weeks of the year.  And this year was really hard as my sister and her family as well as my brother's daughter were all at my parent's house for the holidays.  That doesn't usually happen so it was an extra tug at my heart.

I am glad that we have the tradition of going over to my hubby's parent's house for Christmas Eve dinner.  It is always fun to see them and his siblings.  I love to watch all the cousins as they play together and laugh.  We are lucky to live near family.  We eat a yummy dinner and then we gather downstairs to read Christmas stories and have my father-in-law read from the scriptures.  We also have each of the grandkids, starting with the youngest,  pick a piece of the manager scene and tell about it.  It is always fun to hear what they think about each of the characters.  K seems to always pick the baby Jesus since she is first to pick.  At the end of the evening, we gather in a circle and each get a gift.  A story is read and the gifts are passed all around and across the circle.  At the end of the story, we all get to open the gift bags.  There is always a stuffed "something", lots of candy and snacks and money.  This is the highlight of the night, which is sad since it really should be the Christmas story read from the Book of Luke.  But we laugh so hard during this game, you can't deny it is fun no matter how many times we've done it.  We are glad that we could get together again this year and that my hubby's father is doing well in his health issues.  Then it was home to open new jammies, sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn, get cookies out for Santa, and check online one last time to track where Santa was.  He was in Roswell, NM when the little girls decided they better get to bed cuz he was close.

The boys are waiting for their turn--patiently?

The much-loved "gift game"

I love this picture because they are all standing on their tip-toes to try to be taller than me.  T is the only one that made it!

New Jammies--Don't they look warm and comfy

Sprinkling reindeer food

Christmas day is always relaxing and fun cuz we never go anywhere that day.  We stay in jammies all day and play the games we got as gifts and watch new movies on our nice new comfy couch.  And eat all day long, of course.  So this Christmas was no different.  We had our traditional breakfast and dinner and went to bed fat and happy!  It was nice to have the day after a Saturday, so my hubby had the day off and we enjoyed another leisurely day watching movies and playing WII games.  And we even went out to dinner so I got a break from the kitchen after several days of baking and cooking.  Thanks son for suggesting it.  (And no I did not hit any after-Christmas sales-------YET!)

These are the pillow I made the little girls in their favorite colors

This is T's blanket I made for his bed.

M hasn't pulled hers out but it is purple and green to match her room.

T ready to pump some iron now

Even Duke got to open a present

T really is getting into this new game

This one is fun too

J started her craft project from cousins

K worked on making a new bracelet

We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and enjoy a fantastic New Year.  2010--wow that seems so sci-fi, doesn't it?!  So futuristic.  Make it a great year.