Christmas Day 2011

Christmas morning started bright and early at 6am when the kids called me on my cell phone to tell me that they were awake. That has been the family tradition the last few years so that they don't come over to our room and walk by where Santa has been and see what they got. Connor actually was up at 5 but remembered and stuck to the plan although it about killed him. It was really hard for the kids to wait but I had to change Kyle and start feeding him and we had to set up the camera and light a fire in the fireplace too. It ended up being closer to 6:30 by the time we let the kids come to the living room. Man oh man-that was the longest half hour in history. Connor needed to take his medicine much earlier because he was just so excited that he couldn't hardly stand it. Aspberger's and hoidays are soooo hard! We had the video camera on for all of 2 minutes because after Connor flipped off the camera the thoughts of having all of that for posterity was just not a good idea. Grandma Dottie came over like she usually does. All of the boys got a new blanket and 1 other present from Santa. Cody got a watch, Connor got cowboy boots, Caleb got a camera, Cayden got a bike and Kyle got a exersaucer. Since the family has grown this year we let the kids see what Santa brought and then we moved all the presents into the family room so we would have more room. After we opened presents the kids got to see what was in their stockings. Kyle fell asleep with grandma holding him around 7 and then Grandma had to leave to get ready for church. Mom and dad were exhausted as was Cody so we all went back to bed and left the other kids to fend for themselves for a while. They played with their new legos and watch some of their new movies. Don and me and Kyle slept until about 10ish and then we got up and made a relatively fast Christmas breakfast of pancakes, bacon, grits, toast, hot cocoa and juice. We had to hurry though because we had church at 1 and Don needed to leave at 12:15 so that he could practice with the choir for the Christmas program. We all made it to church on time thank goodness. The choir did a good job-even with our choir director MIA because her FIL had a medical emergency and they had to go to the hospital instead of coming to church. The talks were not super spiritual which I found odd because it was Christmas Day but they were nice even though I spent most of the meeting out in the foyer which will be a constant thing now for a while with the baby. The talks were about Christmas memories that 3 of the oldest members of our ward had as kids and one man who grew up in Hawaii and the difference in Christmas there especially because his family were not members. After church-it was only Sacrament meeting-we headed home and we had another quick nap and then I made broccoli cheese soup, chicken and wild rice soup for Cody since he doesn't like broccoli cheese. We also had the leftover rolls from Saturday and the pies and cake too. Grandma and grandpa came over to eat again and they played a game of chicken foot with the boys while Don and I cleaned up. Christmas night we watched Cowboys and Aliens and just hung out. It was a nice Christmas even though it does not materialize into the hyped up event that I have in my mind that it should be.

Waiting in the hall to see what Santa brought. 

My new bike!!

Cody's watch and Connor's boots.

Caleb's camera.

Um, I am not sure I like this!

Cayden's note from Santa thanking him for the delicious treat.

Cayden's light up turtle.

These blades are like gold!

Sleepy baby.

Cayden's loot.

Connor's beanie from Cody.

Cody's loot.

Cayden's new bike and blanket.

5lbs of Reese's.

New boots.

Playing chicken foot.

Ok, maybe I like this now.

A Little More Christmas

Be Prepared!

Calley made this year's annual Christmas Jeopardy game and made us all feel really dumb!

Fun with Cuzzies!

Pillow Pets are the Bomb!

A new doggie from Mawmaw.

Cool dudes!

Fuzzy slipper feet!

The Real Blizzard

My children looking like the hooligans they are.  

My children cannot resist a snowfall.  They played in it, layed in it, ran through it, and Connor shoveled it for days when we went to Provo for New Year's.  It was sooooo stinking cold but they bundled up and and tromped in and out of grandma's house over and over again leaving their wet shoes and gloves in their wake.

Christmas Just Wouldn't Be Christmas...

Without stuffing ourselves silly!  The Monday after Christmas Don, Caleb, Cayden and I went to St. George to do a bit of shopping so that the kids could spend their some of their giftcards.  We made a stop at Texas Roadhouse and then after shopping a bit we headed home.  Connor stayed with Grandma and Grandpa  and Cody had to work lest you think that we abandoned our other 2 children.

Christmas

On Christmas Eve we had a nice dinner of ham, cheesy potatoes, green beans, rolls and pumpkin pie.  We invited Grandpa Dottie and Grandpa Don over.  Then we let the kids open their traditional gift of PJ's.  It was simple night.  Our Christmas "rule" is that the kids cannot go out to see what Santa brought until they wake up.  But their rooms are on the opposite side of the house from our's so the deal is that they have to go to Cody's room and wake him up and then he can call us from his cell phone to wake us up.  Guess what time the phone rang-3:00AM!  Cayden woke up and woke up Cody and Cody had him call us.  The phone woke me up and I looked at the clock.  Then I calmly answered the phone and Cayden said "can we get up now?"  I said "Cayden it is 3:00 in the morning.  It is way too early to get up.  GO BACK TO BED!"  He said "ok mom" and then we made it until 6:30am.  Cody's favorite gift was his new mini-fridge complete with a 24 pack of Diet Coke.  Connor's favorite gift was new tent.  Caleb's favorite gift was his new cell-phone that we wrapped and put under the tree and then we called it so that it would ring when he was looking for another present to open.  Cayden's favorite gift was his pillow pet.  All the boys got pillow pets and they were a hit!  There lots of Legos and new DVD's as well as flashlights, and Wally's giftcards.  Santa is always so good to us.  We then had a good breakfast of pancakes, grits,and bacon and sausage that Connor cooked outside on the BBQ grill because it always stinks up the house too much for me.  The kids watched their new movies while Don and I napped.  Then we got ready for our 2nd Annual Progressive Dinner with Don's side of the family.  We seriously ate for 3 and half hours straight!  We started at Dena's house and some great appetizers of bruschetta, and brie and pears and some tasty meats and cheeses..  While we waited the kids played Just Dance on the Wii. 

The plan with the Progressive Dinner is help alleviate the stress on just one person providing a whole meal at their home and then we don't have to haul everyone's gifts to someone elses house we just open the carious gifts wherever we are.  After Dena's house we came to our house and had soup and salad and rolls.  By the time we left here we super stuffed already!  Grandpa Don and Grandma Dottie left a little earlier than the rest of us to get going on the main menu course of grandpa's pasta.  Taylor, Cody and I started a game of Phase 10 while the others chit-chatted and watched basketball.  After our yummy pasta dish, Dave and Amy brought over 2 super super yummy desserts-a red velvet layer cake and a whip cream cake that was AWESOME.  The kids opened their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa and we all lounged around with our swollen bellies.  Don's parents gave us a camp stove which we love and now we can give theirs back since we have been "borrowing" it for the last few months.  We always have such a good Christmas and we are have so many blessings.  I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and for His restored gospel that I am so blessed to have part of my life.  I am grateful that we can celebrate more fully His birth, His Life and remember His example and sacrifice for us at Christmas.

Cayden Loves Christmas

Friday, December 17 was the last day of school before our 2 week Christmas break.  Cayden's class had their Christmas party that afternoon.  They decorated gingerbread houses, and decorated little foam houses with stickers and ate lots of junk. I made these snowman cupcakes.  They were quite tasty.

Fa La La La La

Cody sang with our local Valley Voices for their Christmas concert.  He only went to practice a few times but he still sang beautifully!  (December 15, 2010)

I Think These Photos Speak For Themselves

Up On the Housetop

When we got home from Thanksgiving the first thing Cayden wanted to do was decorate the outside of the house.  We let him get out a bunch of stuff to decorate the porch but Don did not have time until December 5th to get the stuff up on the roof.  He really does not like dealing with my twinkle-icicle lights that twinkle when they feel like it and then they might blink instead of twinkle or flash or even do the wave across the top of my house just for spite.  That Saturday afternoon we jumped in the car about 3:30 and ran to Walmart in Mesquite for the sole purpose of rectifying this yearly stress-fest.  I lowered my standards to the basic multi-colored non twinkle, non-blink lightbulbs.  Don likes to go all Griswold but those twinkle lights are about his undoing.  I love my Christmas lights and my sweet husband who makes sure that the Christmas Nazi and his mom have a very merry and bright holiday season.

The Tale of the Christmas Nazi

Cayden has been pleading since Halloween to put up all the Christmas decorations.  On Monday, November 15 I finally gave in.  Don and I spent most of the day prepping for Cayden's return from school by cleaning and dusting and rearranging some furniture.  We got out our 3 Christmas trees: 1 for the piano room front window, 1 for the family room window and the small red and white one for Cayden's room.  You may remember my boycotting of tree decorating last year and how we bought 2 trees from the Festival of Trees. Well this year I wanted my big tree in the front window so we got it out ready to decorate when Cayden got home.  After cleaning 3 bathrooms, dusting lots of rooms and doing our prep work, I made 2 big pans of  Rigatoni which was basically our family Baked Ziti recipe but I did not have Ziti so I used Rigatoni instead.  I also made chocolate chip cookies from the Nestle Tollhouse recipe on the bag chocolate chips.  I made myself ill on the cookie dough since that was only thing I had eaten all day.  Note to self...Take Pepto PRIOR to consuming half the bowl of cookie dough.  Cayden was home by 3:20.  He was so excited that he stood in the middle of the front room and jumped up and down screaming until we told him to stop.  Then we put up decorations for hours and hours and hours.  Don just kept bringing in tote after tote after tote and Cayden kept emptying tote after tote.  Cayden can remember from year to year where everything goes and it all has to be in the same spot as it was previously or it just won't work for him.  If we tried to divert his attention and hide some of the decorations he caught us and reminded us what was still missing.  Don had to leave at 5 for a business dinner but we persevered.  By 7pm I was exhausted.  Everything was up and tree was decorated, the totes were all stacked ready for Don to put away and the floors were all vacuumed.  I was so tired I wanted to cry.   Connor and Caleb wanted to help for about 5 minutes and that was it.  Cody just wanted to make fun of my BAH HUMBUG sign and rearrange the letters so if said variations on the word bum.  So much for our annual Christmas decorating FHE.  The one thing we did not put up was my Willow Tree nativity because I was just too tired.  I told Cayden that I would put it up the next day while he was at school.  He came home and I had not done it yet so he talked his dad into doing for him.  Connor bought him some lights to go around his bedroom door so not only does Cayden have a Christmas tree in his room but lights around his door too.  We have not done the outside lights yet but the Christmas Nazi will continue to pester us  until we do.  It probably won't happen until after Thanksgiving though.  This may have been the earliest we have ever put up decorations.  Heil Santa!