Merry Christmas everyone! We had a really good Christmas this year. It was our first Christmas away from home but to tell you the truth, it was kind of nice to just be together as our little family. We just kind of did our own thing and made our own traditions.
Unfortunately, this is the only picture I have of us decorating the tree this year. It seems like because Colby is the middle child, he gets the bad end of the deals. So this year we let Colby put the star on the top of the tree. He was so happy to have the privilege of putting on the star.
Russell had to work on Christmas Eve so we went over to the fire station to spend some time with him that night.
Sean Lowe, Russell's co-worker, family was there as well. While we were at the fire station, Sean's daughter, Kendall, turned into Logan new girlfriend of the week. Logan is the biggest flirt around. Anywhere he goes, the little girls can't help but want to be around him. They were so cute together holding hands and playing hide and seek. They got to be great friends.
Also while we were at the station, we opened our Christmas Eve presents which was new pajamas of course! Instead of making them this year, I went to the local pajama factory, Lazy One, and bought these cute bear and moose ones for $5. You can't beat that and they are super cute.
On the way home, the kids and I stopped at the Logan Tabernacle to see the large Nativity set. I was able to explain a little more about the true meaning of Christmas. I told them that Christmas was all about Jesus' birth not presents or toys. They loved seeing the Nativity and didn't want to leave. We were all freezing though so we headed home.
That night we read the Luke 2 account of Christ's birth and talked more about what Christmas was really about. Colby made me laugh when he honestly told me, "Mom, I know Christmas is really about Jesus but I'm just really excited to open presents."
The next morning, Russell came home from work at 8:00 a.m. and woke us all up because he said we were sleeping in too late on Christmas. Time for the fun to begin...
Emily had a great Christmas. She asked for a carrying case for her doll, Kit. She received that and new snow clothes, boots and gloves, as well and some new books to read and matching clothes for her and Kit. A few weeks ago we took Emily to the eye doctor because she was complaining that she couldn't see the board at school. She came home from the eye doctor with a new set of spectacles. Emily loves wearing her new glasses and is so happy to be able to see without things being blurry. Because Kit does everything Emily does, Kit needed new glasses too. So that is what Kit got for Christmas.
The thing Colby wanted most was more Lego's which is what he got. He immediately went to work building two new race cars and other fun things. Colby also got new snow clothes, boots and gloves, and new books he can read.
Remember Logan telling Santa he needed a new Thomas? Well Logan got a new set of Thomas the Train tracks to go with his new Thomas Train. He sat for hours watching his train go around and around the new track. Logan also got new snow clothes, boots and gloves.
These kids had so much fun playing with all of their new things that we didn't even eat breakfast until almost noon! They kept finding new things to build with the Lego's, new outfits for Kit to try on, or simply watching Thomas, Emily, and Stephen race around the train tracks and crash in the middle.
We are all set for the snow now! The kids all got new snow things and we also got two new sleds to play with. Russell also got each of the kids a snow shovel so they can help him shovel the snow off the driveway. They are really excited to get out and start working in the snow!
After breakfast, it was present time. We had so many presents to open because Russell's family sent us home with a box full of presents last weekend. The kids loved everything they received. They were also really excited to give each other the presents they had picked out. Russell loved the back scratcher Colby got him. Colby was so excited to give Logan the Paw Patrol Scooter. When we were at the store Colby told us that Logan needed a scooter because Logan didn't have one like he and Emily did. Emily was excited to find the Thomas the Train puzzles for Logan. Colby absolutely loved the tool box and real tools Emily got him. Emily loved learning how to use the weaving loom Logan got for her and immediately made a little hot pad. Colby and I got Emily a Skip-It exercise game and a pedometer watch to go with it. She spent most of the day learning how to Skip-It and walking and dancing around with her watch trying to get her fitness numbers up. Russell's big gift this year was his new road bike. He is really looking forward to riding a ton this next year and hopefully competing in the Latoja in the fall. So for Christmas he got a bunch of stuff for his bike like headlights, gloves, riding clothes, and a computer to track his mileage and speed. I was spoiled as well and received a nice new stock pot, a pressure canner, a nice can opener, clothes, and snow gloves!
I also made a couple of gifts for the boys. Colby has been needing a new backpack for preschool (and for school next year) so I made him this Spiderman backpack. As you can tell, he loved it! He loves Spiderman and he said his favorite color is black so we have the best of both. I made Emily a backpack like this a few years ago. She still uses it but it is a little small. I made Colby's quite a bit bigger in order to hold more things.
I also made Logan an art kit like the other kids'. He picked out the shark material himself. When he opened the gift he went straight to work coloring in the notebook.
We had nowhere to go all day so we just spent the day chilling and playing with our new stuff. It was so nice to not be rushed anywhere and to just enjoy the day. The kids had a lot of fun just playing.
That night we headed over to the Phillips's to see them and Grandma and Grandpa Maxwell. We had a good time just chatting and visiting with them. It was a great end of our Christmas Day.
This year for our family gifts to the Morwood's and Stewart's we made giant dice and domino's for Yard Yahtzee and Dominoes. I think they will be really fun games to play for FHE or on group dates or just for fun. These things took longer to make than we expected because the stain and varnish took forever to dry in this cold weather. But they turned out pretty nice. We ended up making 5 sets of each, one for the Morwood's, Stewart's, my parents, Russell's parents, and us.
For her friends Emily made these cute picture frames out of Popsicle sticks. She painted and decorated them by herself and then we put a picture of her best friends in there. I think they turned out so cute.
We had a great Christmas this year and we loved spending time together as a family. Merry Christmas!
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