Christmas

Christmas Eve this year was a Moyes Christmas Eve...to Plain City we went.  The cousins got to open their presents first thing.  Ivy got a chef set and cookbook.  Brynn got bath bombs shaped like doughnuts and a card game.  Stockton got a flying ball drone.  Molly got Harry Potter trivial pursuit.

Tessa, Chloe, Abby, Harper, Josie, Grant, Stockton, Lucy, Molly, Seth, Spencer, Grace, Bryce, Brynn, Ivy, Gavin, Ben

After presents we had dinner (prime rib and all the yummy fixings) and then we played Family Feud Christmas edition that my mom had prepared.  The Broadbent's went against the Walker's, then the Goodrich's vs. the Moyes's, then the championship round was the Goodrich's vs. the Walker's.  We won.  It was a lot of fun.

Molly and Ben

Brynn and Abby

Stockton and Grace

The kids still wanted to do their talent show so we headed over to the Broadbent's for this.  Brynn played We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Stockton did Jingle Bell Rock, Molly played Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel.  They each did great.  Ivy sang When Samuel Tells of Baby Joseph.

There was a little back and forth.  We went back to mom and dad's for the nativity.  Ivy got to be Mary this year!  Molly was an angel, Brynn a shepherd, and Stockton a wise man.  Grandpa read the Bible, like always.  We headed home after that.

Abby, Molly, Chloe as angels

Spencer and Ivy as Joseph and Mary

Stockton, Gavin, Ben, and Lucy as wisemen and star

Grace, Tessa, Brynn, Harper, Josie, and Seth as shepherds, lamb, and donkey

Harper, Grant, Brynn, Grace, Spencer, Ivy, Seth, Josie, Tessa, Abby, Lucy, Chloe, Molly, Ben, Gavin, Stockton

We got home, set the cookies out (they each picked their favorite cookie that they decorated), gathered in Stockton's room where they had already made their beds up, and listened to dad read The Night Before Christmas.  We tucked them in and said goodnight and left them to all their excitement and dreams.  One of my favorite nights as a parent.  So magical.

Christmas morning.  Also magical because we went to bed with no snow and woke up to a white Christmas.  It really doesn't get much better than that!  It looked so pretty from our new windows.  Christmas was in the loft so they had to climb two flights of stairs to see what Santa got them.  Brynn got to lead this year.

 Molly got a new Kindle (hers was cracked badly and didn't have any memory left) and an Instax camera.  In her stocking she had headphones, pre-wrap (to wrap her hair while she's playing soccer), a Thread wallet, candy, and an ornament.

Stockton got a Kindle and Statue of Liberty Legos.  His stocking had a WWII book, a magic card trick book, a brain teaser game, candy, and an ornament.  He didn't need headphones and is the only one who didn't get a pair.

 Brynn got an Instax camera and a Kindle.  Her stocking had headphones, ear muffs, scratch off paper, candy, and an ornament.

Ivy got a pillow bed and a kids Kindle.  Her stocking had headphones, a Hairdorable doll, earmuffs, candy, and an ornament.

It was the year of the Kindles and they have been a hit!  I was hesitant for the younger two to have their own tablets but we have rules and have not {mostly} had any issues.

The snow continued to fall softly through the exciting morning.  This is what it looked like outside when I went down to get breakfast ready.

We took a break from gifts to have some breakfast.  I think we have finally settled on a traditional Christmas morning breakfast: creme brulee french toast with whipped cream and berries, mini ham and cheese quiches, milk, egg nog, apple juice, orange juice.

having a bowl of whipped cream is okay on Christmas morning

After breakfast, we went back to the loft to see what presents were under the tree.  They each had a present wrapped from their siblings and a family present from Justin and I.

Molly got a sweater and some scrunchies.  I don't usually dare pick out clothes for Molly but she had been looking at this one online for several days so I watched when it went on sale for 50% off and hurried and bought it.  This might be the first time that I remember gifting her clothes.

Brynn was excited to have some scrunchies that matched the new ones Molly got.

Stockton got a dart board.  A real one.  This is maybe for Justin just as much as it is for Stockton.  They both love it.

Brynn got fashion plates and colored pencils.  She didn't really know what they were and they were overshadowed by the other things she got, but they are being brought out a lot now (mid-February).

Ivy got a makeup mirror/vanity and some makeup-real and pretend.  She was the cutest with that and still does her makeup almost every day.

Justin and I decided that instead of getting them each one more thing (we don't need any more toys/things) we would do a bigger gift for all of them for the second present under the tree.  They got a hoverboard and I think that we have decided to do something like this from now on.  The hoverboard has definitely not gotten old and is used everyday.  There have been very few arguments.  They have been really great at sharing it.  Molly, Stockton, and Brynn hopped on right away and rode it with no problem. Even Ivy, who didn't want to even try it on Christmas Day has become a pro and zips all over the house on it.

 

Stockton spent half a day finding and wrapping gifts for each of his sisters.  Nothing that he went out and spent money on but things that he found in his room.  Homemade books and stuffed animals.  It was sweet.

Since we had been to the Goodrich's and the Moyes' already, it was a day to stay at home.  Ivy never got dressed and the girls never got their hair combed.  The kids played with their toys and got games on their Kindles.  Gene and April came up in the afternoon.  They had already gifted their gifts to the kids so the kids showed them their new things and we were able to visit with them for a little while.  I didn't have lunch but had set out some different munchies-veggies with ranch, honeycrisp apples with caramel, crackers with cream cheese and jalapeno jelly, and a cheeseball.  Ivy helped me make homemade bread and was excited to use her new baking dress-ups she got the night before.

 

My parents came later that evening.  They did come with gifts.  All the kids got a new regular outfit and Sunday clothes.  They also gave everyone (parents included) a Getout Pass this year.  On top of that, everyone got one additional gift (yes, they spoil).  Molly got a record player with The Greatest Showman record, Stockton and Brynn each got a pair of snowshoes, and Ivy got some princess legos.

 

They stayed for dinner (chicken and wild rice soup) and the homemade bread.  Christmas had come to an end.  The kids were happy as we tucked them into bed.  Justin and I didn't gift each other many gifts since we considered our trip to Hawaii our anniversary, Christmas, and birthdays.  We filled stockings-in his, this balaclava that he told me he wanted and the Pitching Ninja T-shirt he also told me to he wanted.