Christmas Day

Kasyn asked for "dress up" for Christmas and right now she is really in to Disney princesses. Santa did good... she has played dress up everyday since Christmas.

Doesn't Teig look excited to be there. It wasn't until he was told that he could actually open the presents that his excitement changed.

The kids and Jason are coming downstairs on Christmas morning to see what Santa left for them around the Christmas tree.

See now Teig is happy. We had a such a great Christmas this year and even though we missed out on Christmas in Utah with our families, we were lucky enough to have Jason there this year with us. He was able to take off five days for Christmas. If having him home with us for Christmas isn't a great gift, then I don't know what is.

Teig got some dress up things for Christmas too. He also got some pirate dress up, eye patch and all.

New Christmas Eve Traditions

For Christmas Eve this year, we were fortunate to have the missionaries over for dinner. I made Lasagna, Salad and Garlic Bread like we do every year. In keeping with Jason's mom making this for their family every year on Christmas Eve. After dinner, Elder Decker read from the bible of Jesus' birth and the manger. I used my Nativity set and while he read I showed the kids Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds (wise men) and of course baby Jesus. I think it was easier for them to envision it that way. We also talked to them about giving and receiving gifts on Christmas in honor of Christ's birth and of how baby Jesus was brought gifts of all kinds when he was born. After the missionaries left, we gave the kids a bath and when they were in their pj's, I played them Christmas music on my flute. Then I made hot chocolate and while we drank our hot chocolate, Jason read The Nutcracker and T'was the Night Before Christmas. Both pop-up books that the kids got for Christmas a couple of years ago. It was so nice being with our little family and coming up with a few new ways to celebrate Christmas Eve. Hopefully next year we will be able to do the same.

Santa at the Zoo

For Christmastime the last two years, we have been going and seeing the lights at the zoo. They put a light show on over a pond to the music of the Nutcracker. It is magnificent. The lights are beautiful and the kids seem to really get in to it. This was the first year since Teig was a baby that he got to sit on Santa's lap and as you can see...it didn't go that well. But Kasyn really seemed to like him. The only thing that Kasyn asked for this year was a talking doll house and Little Mermaid II, but by the time that Santa made it to our house he ran out of the doll house. Christmas morning she said that she would wait until next year and that he could just bring it to her then. I'm grateful that she took the loss of not having the house so well, she was happy to see that he had got her the movie.

Changing Colored Christmas Lights

Teig thought that this was hilarious to watch the colors change on this tree. (Sorry the video is sideways.)

Is It Christmas Yet?

Every morning when Kasyn comes in to my room to wake me up, the first thing she asks me is if it's Christmas yet? I have to tell her no and then she asks me how many days are there until Christmas? I feel like we are on a really long drive in the car and she keeps saying, "Are we there yet?" Over and over and over. The other day I decided to place some presents that I had wrapped under the tree from the night before and when she came down the stairs and saw the presents, she immediately asked if Santa had come early because Christmas is still in eight days. I felt bad getting her hopes up. But hopefully it will give her something to look forward to.

One Tree Down, 14 To Go!

I don't know how many times I have complained since we bought our house about the amount of trees that we have. This was just one of three piles of leaves that I raked up from only one tree. We have 15 trees on our property. It used to be 22, but one was diseased and the other six were still small enough, I was able to find other homes for them. I still feel like we are doing our share to add oxygen to the earth with the 15 that I kept.