Christmas Day 2013

Merry Christmas!

What a beautiful day it was.

It started out early.

I woke up at 4, and couldn't sleep....so I thought I would take the cinnamon rolls out of the fridge to raise for a couple hours so they would be ready to cook while we opened presents.

I still had a hard time sleeping....someone in particular was snoring.

Also Porter spent the night on our floor, cause he was having troubles sleeping.

Anyway, I heard Elsie singing in her room at 5.

I just stayed there.

She was happy, and she never goes upstairs by herself.

So I just tried to rest more.

Then Cassi came down and I told her to just play with Elsie in her room until someone else woke up.

It was about a quarter to 5 when Porter woke up, and we woke up dad and Madi then.

So it was early.

I had them wait on the stairs while we got cameras and video cameras ready.

Then they each came in, one by one, so I can see their faces.

(Next year I need a cuter Christmas sheet to hang as the door block :)

Porter wasn't sure what to look at....he was the first one, so he wasn't sure what his pile was.

Until he realized that only one of the piles was boy stuff :)

And a big boy bike.

Elsie was so excited!

It is always so much fun to watch her.

I hope she always stays the same :)

Dad made her a darling stroller for her dolls and I got two cabbage patch dolls from thrift stores, and they fit perfectly inside.

She has made the rounds today with it :)

Cassi was I think the most surprised about her main gift, and American Girl Doll.

I got a super great deal from the Today show a while back, I would NEVER pay full price for a doll!!!!!

Dad also made a chair into a guitar stand.

Kind of cool.

And Madi didn't show much excitement....but she loved her stuff and she really was excited.

She got a shelf that fits perfectly under her bookshelf, making it look like one piece.

She also got a sewing machine.

I was worried about giving a sewing machine to a pre-teen.

You know, not 'cool' enough.

But she loves it.

She spent the day making snakes for her siblings.

I forgot to take a picture of them, but they are super cute, and she had a lot of fun doing it.

So I think we did good.

After resting and playing, Dad had to head to work.

They kids played games, and hung out in Madi's room, while she sewed and Porter played music.

It was pretty adorable.

I spent a lot of time making rolls to take to the fire station for Christmas dinner.

I needed a good place for them to rise, so I pulled all the pots and pans out of their spot, which is right over a heat vent, and stuck the rolls in there :)

Super brilliant right.

Except, there was so much STUFF on the counters, that the pots and pans just went on the floor.

The house is a super big disaster.

I told Dad that when he comes home, he sits down and does nothing except watch a movie with the kids while I putter and clean.

Tomorrow.

I am way too tired tonight.

Anyway, after frantically giving baths and drying clothes in the dryer.....we headed off to the fire station for our Christmas dinner.

It turned out to be such a fun night.

The boys got called out about half way through their meal.

The little kids thought it was so fun to watch them head out on a call.

They were gone for maybe 40 minutes before they came home.

They were headed to bogus basin before the call got cancelled.

Cassi was a pro with all the little kiddos.

Everyone loved her, as usual.

We all stayed there for almost 3 hours.

Lots of fun talk, eating and playing.

Good stuff.

We got home and got all the little ones in bed.....

And now I am off.

I need sleep.

I am thankful for such a beautiful day.

I am thankful we get to celebrate this holiday as a family.

And I am thankful for the reason we celebrate this holiday.

Thankful for the gift that Christ was to the world.

And all that has been made possible for us, though him.

Greatest gift of all.

Merry Christmas.