Christmas

Christmas Eve was at the Goodrich's this year. Here is a run-down of the highlights:

-Dinner...so.much.food. So delicious and it's hard to choose a favorite. Our contributions this year were chipotle chicken bites with the most delicious sauce, cranberry jalapeno salsa cream cheese dip, taquitos with cilantro-ranch dressing, and a veggie tray.  Each one of us thoroughly stuffed ourselves-this is hands down the best dinner of the entire year.

-Spiritual program by Grandpa (we love that guy more than words can express-he is having some scarier health things going on right now and we know he'll be okay but it has been a little sobering-we need him around for a lot longer)

-Presents...the presents were not named so we had to guess whose was whose. Molly got the most right (she guessed them all right!) so she won the giant bag of nerds. This year we went home with: Justin: sleeping bag, new hat, Gushers; me: black sweatsuit, sunrise alarm clock; Molly: levi jumper; Stockton: ankle guard for baseball; Brynn: pink Stanley tumbler, earrings, fake nails, phone case; Ivy: rainbow loomies, make it minis, lightbox for room.

-Justin coming out and surprising everyone as Buddy the Elf. Our kids were delighted the most but everyone got a pretty good laugh over this.

-Singing around the piano..."Stars that Twinkle and Shine" is everyone's favorite so we start and end with that one.  Then fun songs and hymns. We stayed way longer than normal.

singing along to "Angels We Have Heard on High" accompanied by Ivy

-Stockton gifting Grandma and Grandpa a set of dishes he made in pottery. Grandma made a big deal about eating a piece of cake with her new plate.

-One cousin picture before saying goodbye and goodnight!

Ivy, Evie, Brynn

We didn't get home until after 11! The kids had already set their beds up in Stockton's room so they got in their jammies, set out cookies and milk for Santa, got into bed, and listened to Justin read "The Night Before Christmas". Justin misread a line which made him accidentally say a swear word and the kids laughed and laughed and laughed for a full two minutes before he could get back to the story. I don't think any of us will hear the line "covered in ashes and soot" the same again. Everyone was excited which made for some extra silliness and I think the light didn't get turned out until after midnight. Who knows how long it took for them to fall asleep.

The rule is that they can't wake us up in the morning until 7. I thought for sure they would sleep longer than that but, no, I got a phone call just minutes after 7. Turns out, they set an alarm! I told them they couldn't do that anymore. All was calm and quiet for 30 minutes until the fun started.

so pretty

the line up to go see if Santa came

Christmas morning was back in the loft around the real tree. Santa wrapped the presents and Ivy got to go first. They each got two main gifts and three smaller gifts/stocking gifts. Ivy got a Christmas tree for her room, Legos, a diamond painting kit, rainbow loom bracelet kit, and a minky blanket.

Molly got a daily photo calendar (Santa had fun going through all her pictures from the last year and putting this together), Kindle reader, satin pillowcases, a Fleetwood Mac record, and another year of Spotify premium.

Stockton got new baseball cleats, slides, a 49ers sign for his room, a minky blanket, and a fleece Columbia jacket.

Brynn got an air track/tumble track, minky blanket, sol de janiero perfume, summer fridays lip stuff, and a vanity chair.

Santa also left two surprises for the family: two new hoverboards because our old one didn't hold a charge anymore. It was a very good morning for the kids.

We took a break to eat our Christmas morning breakfast of creme brulee french toast with whipped cream, berries, and bananas (I stirred it up while it was baking and it made it a little crispier and even yummier), ham and egg cups, egg nog, the creamiest chocolate milk, and some leftover candied bacon from the night before (because I forgot to get bacon at the store). This might be my favorite part of the morning-taking a break from the gifts, good food, and being together.

After breakfast had been enjoyed and {mostly} cleaned up, we went back to presents. We moved downstairs to do family gifts so old people (me and Justin) didn't have to sit on the floor. The kids each got a gift from their siblings. Ivy: hand-stitching kits; Molly: Utah State Eastern hoodie; Stockton: crocs slippers; Brynn: fake Uggs. 

They all got a gift from Justin and I as well. It worked out that they each got an "experience" gift this year, a typed up coupon inside a box of dollar-store candy. They were confused for a minute with the candy until we prompted them to open the box of candy. Ivy and Brynn are going to Disneyland in March (for a cheer comp that Ivy gets to tag along to this time since she has never done Disney), Molly got a senior trip with Justin and me this spring (she picks the location, with some restrictions), and Stockton got tickets to a Utah Hockey Club game with Justin (maybe the most "boring" of all but he really wanted this and was genuinely excited).

Since we had already done the Moyes party and the Goodrich get-together, we got to stay home the rest of the day. It was wonderful.  Highlights included:

-Stockton trying on the Buddy costume. We had gotten a skiff of snow that morning so he went outside as Buddy and threw some snowballs. The rest of us watched through the window.

-Molly got an extra gift this year: some record shelves for her room that Justin made. They hung them up that night and they look so good.  It was just what she wanted and completes that wall perfectly. Her room has taken several years to get just right but it's been fun for her ideas to take shape and her room fits her perfectly.

-Grandma April, Grandpa Gene, Brett, and Ruby coming to visit. So exciting for the kids to show everything they got that morning. I put out a snacky-type lunch and we played a paper Battleship game while we ate.

-Grandma Kay and Grandpa Moyes coming to visit about an hour after our first guests left. They brought presents for everyone: Ivy-a puzzle and bracelet making kit; Molly-make-up/skin care products; Stockton-Utah Jazz hoodie; Brynn-waver and hair clips. Justin got a portable air compressor for the car and I got a new dress. They also gave the girls Hale Theater tickets and the boys Jazz game tickets. We had french dip sandwiches on homemade rolls for dinner and played Uno Dare (a family gift from Brynn) before they left to drive home.

We were tired of Christmas movies and Molly requested to watch Sing that night. So we did that then went to bed. The older I get and being in the brink of such a big change this coming year, I just love it the most when all six of us are home together. It was the perfect Christmas day!