Christmas

We had Christmas Eve this year with the Goodrich's.  Since the Tanner's have moved to Atlanta it was just our family and Eric and Heidi's with Gene, April, and Brett.  We missed everyone but still had a great night of tradition.  We had our delicious appetizer dinner.  I made chipotle chicken bites and greek dip and Justin made his bacon wrapped shrimp.  Everything else was delicious and I always overeat and get so full!

Goodrich Christmas Eve is a simple event and I love it.  After dinner, the kids act out the nativity and then we sing songs around the piano.  We definitely missed Camille at the piano...I filled in and did an okay job but I am no where near as accomplished as she is.  All the kids were given the chance to perform a song if they chose to.  April gave Eric and Justin copies of a book they used to read as kids and Justin read it while Eric showed pictures and they all thought it was a pretty funny book.  We visited a little and then headed home.  It was a great night.

Luke as Joseph and Brynn as Mary

Evie and Ivy were angels

Stockton, Eli, Jake, Brynn, Luke-for some reason I don't have a picture of Stockton being a shepherd.  He was really hoping to be Joseph but when Luke also said he wanted to be Joseph, Stockton let him do it.  It was very sweet.

Molly and Tiana were the narrators

Brynn played "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas"

Stockton played "Let it Snow" and "Joy to the World"

Jake, Tiana, Molly

Brynn fell asleep on the drive home but woke up a little to set out cookies for Santa and listen to Justin read "The Night Before Christmas."  They were prepared for both.  They had each set aside their favorite decorated cookie for Santa and had set up beds in Stockton's room.  Such a magical time for them...and Justin and I who get to watch them.

We left the kid phone downstairs for them to call when they woke up.  They are not allowed to come out of the room and see what Santa brought without Mom and Dad.  I told them they couldn't call before 7 and they waited until about 7:20.  I think most of them were up earlier but they had to wait for Ivy to wake up.  They were anxious to get upstairs!

Santa came!  He brought each of them two gifts and a filled stocking.  Molly got a desk and a typewriter.  Her stocking had a bladder for her hiking backpack, a lamp for her room, a soccer trainer, an ornament, and some candy.

Molly is trying to type all her stories and I love hearing those keys go. (It is loud, something we discovered the next morning when she got up and went straight to the typewriter!)  All the kids took turns on the typewriter that morning.

Stockton got a compound bow with a target and two games for his Nintendo DS (Harry Potter and Star Wars Angry Birds).  His stocking had a bladder for his hiking backpack, an arm guard for his bow, a lamp for his room, an ornament, and some candy.

Brynn got high heels, heely shoes, and a pillow bed (that's 3 but the shoes counted as one).  Her stocking had a bladder for her hiking backpack, Little House paper dolls, a stamp with her name on it with ink pads, an ornament, and candy.

Brynn sleeps on this pillow bed every night.  She drags it out anytime we are watching a movie.  It is very comfortable.  When I tuck her in at night, she reminds me of the princess in the princess and the pea story.

High heels at last! She wears them every chance she gets.

Ivy got a pop-up tent with an Aurora dress and doll.  Her stocking had bubble bath, flannel sheets, princess hair bows, an ornament, and candy.

Ivy was so cute.  It took her a good 30 minutes before she realized there was anything inside the tent.  She was much more excited when she saw that Santa came through with the Aurora dress.

The kids got extra spoiled this year because Santa also brought a few family gifts.  A whiteboard and markers and a retro Nintendo along with The Christmas Story movie and a snow globe (tradition).  Our kids love to draw and write on a whiteboard and our old one broke.  It gets played with nearly everyday.  We've never ventured into the world of video games but this is a fun one because it is all the games Justin and I grew up playing so it has been fun to introduce them to our kids and play as a family.

The kids played with their stuff while I got breakfast put together.  We had a feast of creme brulee french toast with blueberries, blackberries, and whipped cream, ham and egg muffins, bacon, grape juice, and egg nog.  It was so good!  Gene and April and Brett joined us for breakfast and they gave presents to the kids when we were done.  Molly got a jelly fish lamp and a calligraphy set.

Stockton got a boomerang and a microscope.

Brynn got hair chalk, elastic bracelet maker, and a Snuff-a-Luv.

Ivy got a tiny toes doll and a Little People princess parade set.

They stayed a little longer to watch the kids open their presents from under the tree.  They each had two, one from Justin and I and one from each other.  Molly got a fitness tracker watch from her siblings and a headboard for her bed from her parents (made by Justin).

Stockton got a Harry Potter lego set from his siblings and an Alexa dot from his parents.

Brynn got a Lego set from her siblings and a slime kit from her parents.

Ivy got some Calico Critters from her siblings and the Camelot Jr. game from her parents.

They all got sufficiently spoiled, that's for sure!  It was a great morning.

I gave Justin this helmet for when he is cutting down trees and splitting wood.

We got ready for the day and then went to Plain City later that afternoon.  We were able to see some cousins before they left to their other families and the kids got showered with more presents.  My mom gave everyone season passes to Lagoon.  All the cousins got them so we are excited for lots of fun days this summer!  In addition, Molly got a fabric kit to sew a table runner.  She is going to have grandma help her put it together.

Stockton got some snap circuits-these are so cool!

 

Brynn got a hatchimal.

And Ivy got the Calico Critter school house.

We stayed the rest of the evening at my parent's house eating food, playing with some cousins (the Moyes's never left), watching basketball games, and playing with new toys until it was time to drive home.  It was relaxing for me and I enjoyed it very much.

Abby and Molly

Brynn wins the prize for the funniest face!  She kills me!