Christmas 2012

We had a fabulous Christmas.  I love Christmas time.  I love how family oriented it is.  I love that I have small children to celebrate this magical season with.  

Due to Ben's business trip to Turkey the week before Christmas, he was able to take off a few extra days than he normally gets at Christmas, making it a full 2 week break for him.  We loved every minute of having him home.

Christmas Eve was a fun filled day with lots going on, but lots of down time.

I had a house showing at our old house in the early afternoon (having two houses is not super fun), and then on with the fun and festivities!

There was lots of lounging and movie watching.

Before I had to start dinner, I made sugar cookies with the kids.  I'm usually not much into kids helping me cook and bake (bad habit/control thing- too messy and takes so long!) but in the spirit of Christmas I gladly let them help.  They were so excited.

I tried my hand at crescent rolls for the first time.  I enlisted Ben's help at the end to speed up the process.

We do our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve so that we don't have to do much on Christmas Day.  We are all about relaxing and being lazy that day.

While we were busily finishing up dinner, there was a knock at the door.  Chloe ran over to open the door and found...

Santa Claus!  What??

She ran downstairs to get the older kids.  They flew up the stairs.  They could hear his loud, booming "HO, HO HO's" all the while.

Is that really Santa, they are thinking?

Yes, yes it is.

We invited Santa into the living room.  He had with him a bag and told the kids he had brought them something special.  He showed the kids how the elves open gifts- by tearing into it messily and crazily.

He brought forth a pair of pajamas for each of the kids, and asked them to try them on over their clothes to make sure they fit.  They fit perfectly.

Next, he pulled from his magic bag a Christmas book about the Forgotten Carols.  Lexi ventured over to take a closer look.

Next he pulled out a movie- "Madagascar 3."  My kids have been dying to see that!  How did he know?

He then showed the kids that the bag was empty and told them that he needed help cleaning up.  He said, "That's how we do things at the North Pole- nice and tidy!"  Oh how I love you Santa!

All of the kids helped clean up, including Leah, who was not so sure of this visitor in our home.  She wasn't so sure of him a few weeks ago when we visited him either.

We had to get a picture with him.  How often does Santa visit you personally on Christmas Eve??  We are so lucky.

Mitchell and Lexi were fascinated with having Santa there.  They couldn't keep their eyes off him the whole time he was there.  My favorite part of the whole night was when Mitch was kneeling on the floor, listening intently to Santa's every word, and asked in a very curious way, "Am I on the naughty list?"  I don't know if he had a guilty conscience or what.  Santa laughed and said, "Oh, ho ho.  You're on the good list.  You're ALL on the good list.  I only visit little boys and girls who are on the good list."  Whew, thinks Mitch.

At the end, Mitch asked where the reindeer were and if he could see Santa's sleigh.  Santa said that they weren't with him, that they were getting ready for the big night of delivering gifts.

Then Santa had to go.  He told the kids he would be back later that night after they were fast asleep and leave them something else special.  We all waved goodbye and told him thanks for stopping by.

A few minutes after Santa left, Chloe took the kids to the front door to see if they could see Santa's sleigh flying in the sky.  Leah cried and was devastated that she couldn't see it!

Then it was time for our Christmas feast- ham, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls and jello salad.

It was delicious!

After dinner, we had everyone get in their new pj's and gather around to listen to Ben read the Christmas Story from Luke in the Bible.

Then we loaded in the van to drive around for a few minutes and see the Christmas lights in our neighborhood.

They were especially anxious to see the "blue house" that we've heard so much about.  Isn't that amazing?

 Their neighbors must hate them, but we love it!

Even the entire lawn was covered in lights.  Amazing.

Back home, the kids put some serious effort into decorating cookies for Santa.  They went all out, as I'm sure was expected after our personal visit from him.  I have never seen so many sprinkles on one cookie before.  Sure hope Santa has a sweet tooth!  (I'm pretty sure he does).

Chloe then wrote a note to Santa from all the kids, but Mitch insisted on signing his own name.  He signed it in block letters- where he learned this, I have no idea.  But I do know that it took him 8 times longer to write it than normal.

The note to Santa:

"Dear Santa,

Here is some yummy cookies.  Thank you for coming to our house.  We love the pj's and the movie.  Please give your reindeer a bite of our cookies.  We love you.  Merry Christmas.  Love,

Chloe, Mitchell, Leah and Lexi

They wanted to leave him chocolate milk this year.

After we had all of that business out of the way, everyone snuggled up to watch our new movie from Santa.  Lexi conked out cold a few minutes into it, as did Ben.

Off to bed when it was over to wait for Santa.  With our extra exciting night, I'm sure there was "visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads."

We were very glad that the kids slept (or stayed in their rooms) until 7 a.m. Christmas morning, like we asked them too.

I ran downstairs to take pictures before the kids got down there.  If I had to pick my favorite scene in the world, it would be a darkened room with a shining, decorated Christmas tree in it.

Santa was right- he DID come again!

Ready to see what he brought us!

The note Santa left for all the kids:

"Dear Chloe, Mitchell (he wrote his name in block letters for him!), Leah and Alexis,

Merry Christmas!  Thank you for letting me sotp by and visit you yesterday.  You have all been such good kids.  Thank you for the cookies.  I love sprinkles!  And so does Prancer.  He ate one whole cookie.  Have a Merry Christmas.  Love,

Santa"

Mitch was beyond thrilled to get what he asked for- "Ice Age 4" DVD.  I'm glad he is so easy to please.

Santa brought everyone snow hats, gloves and scarves.

Ahh- Leah could live and die on chocolate alone.

We weren't sure how Chloe was going to react to what Santa brought her.  She asked Santa for an American Girl doll, and a few days before Christmas she wrote him a letter and added a "real live bunny" to her list.  Santa knows that she doesn't really play with dolls and probably only wanted one because her friends have one.  He also knows that her mother could not handle an indoor pet at this time in her life. 

We have always told our kids that just because you ask Santa for something does not mean you will get it.  We explain that Santa knows things that we might like better than what we're asking for, and he also knows what other people are getting us and he works with that, too.

He left her this note:

"Dear Chloe,

Thank you for writing me to tell me what you wanted.  I know you wanted an American Girl Doll, but I think you will really like what I got you, and what your Grandma & Papa got you.  Keep being a good girl.  Santa is really proud of you.  Merry Christmas.  Love,

Santa Claus

Grandma and Papa got her a Merida doll (and "Brave" movie).  Santa knew she was already getting a doll.  Chloe reminds me of Merida with the beautiful red hair and strong willed personality.

Chloe was also very excited to shop for everyone in the family this year.  So was Mitchell, for that matter.  We should probably start drawing names among the siblings.  But it is really sweet to see them want to give and spend time picking out things they know their siblings will like.  Chloe bought the twins some candy, then also secretly wrapped them up little trinkets and chapsticks of hers because she knows how much they love them.  It was very sweet.

Mitch scored on some sweet new "boy" toys this year.  This car track was a hit.

The twins got new baby dolls from Nana and Papa.  They love babies.

The kids helped Ben pick out a new bath mat for me that I've had my eye on.

Ben loves his applets and cotlets.

Twin laptops for twin girls- in their favorite colors too!

Mitch got nerf guns too.  We got him 2 of them so that he could use them with somebody else.  It has been the favorite toy of the year.  The only downside is all the little darts all over the house, all the time.  But the kids love it and it's something everyone can enjoy.  I love gifts like that.

My sweetest gift was from my sweet little boy.  A few weeks ago I was out shopping with the kids.  I found this jeweled cardigan that I liked, but decided not to get it that close to Christmas.  Mitch kept telling me that day to "just get it, Mom.  You should get it."  When I didn't, he apparently came home that very night and told Ben about it.  He then asked Ben to take him shopping to buy it for me for Christmas.  Ben didn't know what it looked like, but Mitch knew and found it and got it for me.  What a sweetheart.

Mitch also got the game Hungry, Hungry Hippos- the other thing he asked Santa for.  Thank you Grandma and Papa!

The kids got these adorable animal masks from Grandma Cynde, with a note attached with an "Admit One" to a local zoo here.  They were so thrilled!

My sister-in-law made all the kids these adorable aprons.  They loved the and wore them around all morning.

Leah wanted to get out of her pj's the minute she woke up that morning, but I made her stay in them until after we got done opening gifts.  The minute we were done, she ran upstairs and changed into her "go-to" outfit- jeans and her least fancy t-shirt and socks.  She came back down and played on an old phone of ours while feeding her new baby.

The aftermath of Christmas morning.

While the kids played with their new loot, I made our annual cherry breakfast cake and sausage and juice.  We put candles in it and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.  They loved blowing out the candles.

The rest of the day was awesome.  Relaxing, playing and spending quality time together.

We received quite a few movies this year and with Ben getting a new receiver for Christmas, we were more than happy to watch some of our new movies in our new theater room.

Lexi and her haul

Leah

Mitch

Chloe- holding her sweet bow and arrow set from Nana and Papa, just like Merdia from Brave.  How cool of a gift is that?  

Ben was one busy guy all day.  Everyone wanted help setting up their new toys.  He is such a good dad.

Chloe sat down that evening and started a craft project she got from Ben's grandparents- her own loom/weaving set.

Chloe got an iPod from us.  On Christmas Day, she opened a different MP3 player.  It was very inexpensive and we soon found out why.  It wouldn't hold a charge and its touch screen was very flaky.  Chloe was so excited to receive one, but was devastated everytime she went to use it and something new would go wrong.  She was holding back tears multiple times on Christmas Day.  It really was sad.  It was really her one big and pretty much only gift from us and it didn't even work.  The day after Christmas, we returned the cheap one and decided to splurge and get her an Apple one.  She was thrilled and it works wonderfully.

On Christmas Day, I HAD to make one of our favorite family treats- Klingons.  The name really doesn't do these delicious treats any justice.  It's a peanut butter and chocolate wonder and it's my new favorite to-go Christmas treat.

What a wonderful 2 days we had.  It always goes by much too quickly, and I'm always sad when I go to bed Christmas night, knowing it's over and Christmas won't come for a whole year.