Christmas 2010

This Christmas we had the chance to spend it with just our family. Not that I don't love being with extended family, but it was so fun to make memories with just TJ, the kids and I! It really was a perfect, magical, Christmas!

We started Christmas Eve day by a yummy breakfast at Mimi's Cafe! We had done this the only other time we ever had Christmas with just us and so we decided to do it again! Mimi's omelets, pancakes, muffins, O.J. and last but certainly not least HOT CHOCOLATE! I swear Mimi's has THE best hot chocolate EVER!

On Christmas Eve we invited our friends, the Collins, over for some soup and other Christmas Eve festivities! They also have a Christmas Eve jammie tradition so it was fun for all the kids and teens to get to open 1 present on Christmas Eve. Before they left for the night we shared our traditional "Teach the Children" story with them.

Bad lighting...sorry

Brady putting an ornament on the tree as we read Teach the Children

Reecey's turn

After the Collins' left we got a surprise visit from Kirsten who brought all the kids a present! So sweet! Thanks Kiki!

After Kirsten left we watched the cartoon version of Grinch (another tradition) and then read the accounts of the Christmas Story from the Bible. Then we sent the kids off to camp out on the floor in our bedroom so we could make sure none of them snuck out to try to catch Santa!!!!

Christmas morning arrived with all the magic and excitement that we hope for!

The kids anxiously waiting to be allowed out to see the loot that Santa brought!

Lined up youngest to oldest--another tradition!

This little Blue's Clue's book ended up in Jackson's stocking because as a little boy he had us read it to him so much that he had it memorized! We have him 'reading' it to us on video and it is so cute it is physically painful for me to watch! Anyways, over the years and more kids the original Good Night Blue book got destroyed and thrown away so TJ and I bought him a new one and put it in his stocking...along with everything that Santa had already put in it.

Reecey with her Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder

TJ with his new electric guitar and amp! Now he can start a band!

J.B. opening a new hoodie. It doesn't take much to please this kid, but we did surprise him with a cell phone and you should've seen his face! He wasn't sure if it was real and if it for him. I had written his phone number on the box and so I asked him what was written on the box. He read back the number to me and I said, that's your number! He then jumped up and tackled me with a huge bear hug and then ran over and tackled his father with a big bear hug! It was fun! And its a good thing he's got unlimited texting because he's gotten non-stop texts since he sent out his phone number to all our family and the few friends of his who also have phones! The teenage years should be fun!

I'm not even sure what she's opening here but the expression on her face is priceless!

Reecey doing her puzzle

Brady scored this year with the Lego's. He and TJ are making his lego Millenium Falcon here!

All of Brady's creations! He built all day long!

After presents we ate our traditional Scotch Stew for breakfast and also added Cinnamon Spice pancakes to our Christmas morning breakfast repetoire! Then after a day of playing with new presents we went to see Gulliver's Travels that night, came home and packed our suitcases for Denver.

It seriously was such an awesome Christmas! I am so thankful for my wonderful hubby and fantastic kids who are really really really fun to hang out with! I am one blessed girl!