CHRISTmas!!

This was our 3rd year not going to either of our parents for Christmas Eve & Day, but it was our 1st time spending Christmas Eve all on our own. We wanted to do it and try and start some new family traditions. I wanted to make cinnamon rolls as a family, but the dough didn't rise... so we were left to start just one tradition. We wanted to make Christmas Eve about Christ, and focus on the true meaning of Christ. Christmas Day can be so full of presents and fun, that we wanted to set Christmas Eve apart. Growing up my family always ate a meal that Christ could of eaten (lamb, stew, bread we tore with our hands) on the floor in our basement, and read the story of Christ. Looking back I realize now that it was a reminder to us children of the real meaning of Christmas and I am grateful for it.

So we decided to read the story of Christ's birth in Luke, and each of us had our own nativity to act out what was being read. I think it went pretty well for the first time and that the kids enjoyed using their little figurines to act out the story. When we were done the kids took turns telling the story on their own. Brinley did a great job :)



Brinley and her manger scene. She had to barrow the star and angel, but couldn't tell her story with out them :)



Casen had fun having the shepherds "make haste" to visit Jesus.



This is what everything looked like AFTER Santa came to visit, and BEFORE the kids got to it. Everything was spread out nicely, but we really tried not to over do it this year. The kids got the big roller coaster from Santa and one individual gift from Santa, a gift from each other, one from Mom, and one from Dad. I am really glad we did it this way. Way less overwhelming for the kids and they actually got to enjoy what they got!


Ryan and I's stocking. I wonder who's the NICE one was :)


LOVE this face.


Marlee wondered what was going on...


This was Brinley's gift from Santa and the only thing she had asked him for. The kids never ask for much from Santa, which is great :)


Casen just wanted an "Orange Helmet" from Santa and that's what he got! It even came with a uniform, which he wouldn't take off for the next few days.







Brinley's our little artist and was pretty excited about this kit from Dad


Marlee loves her new walker, it is a stroller that plays music and she loves to dance to it. She was even happy to see it in the box :)



Ryan surprised me with a new Canon 60D camera... I am SO excited! I absolutely love it already. Get ready for nice blog photos :)



Ryan asked for a "nice" watch for Christmas and I wasn't sure what to get. I ended up getting him a Swiss Army Victorinox watch, I think he likes it :)



The after math!


Casen was pretty excited about this truck, he had found it at Toys R Us and it was all he could talk about for the next week


The kids have had fun racing down their "roller coaster"



About 2 minute after church. Notice Case is already back in his uniform. It was great to go to church on Sunday. It was a short and very sweet Christmas service.



We had Christmas dinner with the Nyes. All the kids ate about a dozen servings of ham each. We ate ham leftovers for several days... including white bean and ham soup, yum!

The Nyes got a parachute for Christmas and pulled it out. Nate was kind enough to play with the kids. Oh how I loved parachute days in elementary PE!


Marlee napped while we ate and was happy to eat when she woke up. She loved the mashed potatoes and wanted to eat them by the handful :) HAPPY baby!


SAD baby! The next day we ate leftovers, and after spood feeding Marlee mashed potatoes we put her in her high chair to eat the other food on her own... and then she FREAKED out. I have never seen her throw such a big fit for anything. She was hysterical, Brinley suggested we call the doctor. We took her out and tried to calm her down. Well turns out the medical emergency was that she was no longer eating potatoes. She slowly calmed down while eating handfuls of mashed potatoes between her sobs.



This is totally Marlee's personality, giving Dad bunny ears during the picture... nice one Marlee girl.


It was a wonderful Christmas Day!