Christmastime

Christmas Eve and Christmas day were both delights.

We started Christmas Eve by going to church . . .

 Oh they looked so nice!  I had found all these outfits at the second-hand store.  Miles' suit is just a bit small ("I can't move my arms up much.") and so it will probably be passed down to Jonas.  But they all looked beautiful and handsome.

Sacrament meeting was nice - full of music and narration.

 Lucy was just too excited about opening the kids' gifts to each other - so right after lunch they went up to open their gifts.  It was fun!

We watched Ben's favorite Christmas movie, The Christmas Carol.  Then we got dinner ready for us and the missionaries.  Swedish meatballs - oh so delicious!  I had to make a gluten-free version for one of the elders and that made it interesting, but I think it all worked out!

We did a little lesson with the elders, lit the luminarias, and said good-night to the elders.  We then had our rice-pudding - in which the one who gets the almond in his/her bowl gets their Christmas wish and to pick the Christmas-day movie.  Jonas won - much to Lucy's dismay and tears.

We surprised the kids with their Christmas eve jammies - yes, we try and do this every year but I wasn't sure it was going to happen this year.  Plus, Miles told me he and Jonas could just wear theirs from last year . . . But Emmy needed some real PJs and so we went to Target and managed to find some for 50% off (although our choices and sizes were limited and thus Miles's shorts are sized XL, haha).

There were all surprised to get some jammies and were super excited about them - the girls loved their long nightgowns!

The kids all slept in the boys' room and who knows what they did . . . but they were eventually asleep by 9:30, I think!

At 6:30, the designated "okay time to get up mom and dad," the kids came in to our room and said, "1, 2, 3, Merry Christmas!"  So we got up and the kids ran downstairs to check out what Santa had brought them . . .

 Running down the stairs - all in a blur except for Jonas!

 The girls got gigantic teddy-bears from Santa - and love them so much!  I love this picture - Lucy checking out her stocking loot and Emmy gazing at her teddy-bear.  :)

 Miles liked his gifts from Santa, too - a point-and-shoot camera, plus a stocking full of "stuff."

 The girls wrestling with their bears!

Santa didn't forget Brigham!  Brigham loved his rawhide bone!

The rest of the day the kids just played with their new toys!  Ben and I got out and did some exercising - me running with Brigham and Ben going for a bike-ride.  The kids were busy playing with their Legos (the boys) and barbies (the girls).

The kids all got neat gifts!  Miles - a camera, a Cafe lego set to go with his other awesome buildings (like the movie theater), string art crafting kit, subscription to National Geographic, etc.  Jonas - a YI lite camera (a more budget-friendly Go-Pro), the millenium falcom lego set, the Underland book series, juggling sticks, bike accessories (odometer, pump), etc.  Emmy - rubber-band set, gymnastics series books, a 3-month subscription to Kidstir (recipes and kitchen tools sent in the the mail), Magic 8 ball, and an Instax Mini camera (a small and adorable polaroid camera - so cute and she loves it!).  Lucy - a craft kit, Bearenstein bear books (her favorite!), an adorable fill-in-the-blank journal, Barbies (including some cool gymnastics barbies), etc.  Fun, fun.

 The girls playing barbies . . .

 The boys working on their legos . . .

 Lucy and Ben reading their new books on Smokey and Charlie.  :)

 Lucy stitching and Emmy making rubber-band necklaces . . . on Smokey and Charlie.  :)

Jonas figuring out the juggling sticks.  I think they are pretty fun, too!

We had a good dinner of cornish hens, leftover Christmas jello, rolls, carrots and potatoes.

Jonas chose the movie The Night at the Museum:  Battle of the Smithsonian.  It's hilarious.

What a fun and magical day!  We are blessed and grateful for all that we have - but especially for our family and our faith!