Our Christmas

 This year Christmas fell on a Tuesday. While that may not have been very convenient for many people, it worked out really well for our family. This was probably one of the most laid back Christmases that we have ever had. We decided to celebrate our little family Christmas on the Saturday before. The night before we had got some snow so in the morning Robb was desperate to let the kids open a couple of their gifts so that he could take them to Pioneer Park to snowboard. We made them close their eyes and wait in the living room since these gifts were too big to wrap.

 It doesn't really look like it in this picture but Bryce was very excited about his helmet and snowboard. We had bought the boys ski helmets last year in Colorado when we had money that we had to spend at the ski shop. Our hope is that we will be able to take the boys on a ski trip to Colorado with us this year. The snowboards are just toy ones that they can use around here. I think we decided after talking to the people at the ski school's last year that they should learn to ski first and then learn snowboarding when they are a little bit older.

 

Caleb was so excited to go down the big hills at Pioneer Park.

 Abby got a pink sled and she thought she was really excited to go to Pioneer Park until she learned that I wasn't planning on going. She was all dressed up in her snow suit and had all of her gear on so I just pulled her up and down the street about a dozen times and then we came in and had hot chocolate.

 After lunch Robb and I finally gave in and decided we could do gifts. The kids had been asking about it since they had got up that morning and we were really excited to see them open the gifts too.

 

 Bryce was all smiles when he opened the gift with his 6 Star Wars movies in it and a Star Wars shirt. I guess I am going to have to learn a new set of characters now. Every time I start to understand what he is interested in he switches it up on me.

 Caleb was very excited about his motorcycle Lego set and a set of Knex. He opens gifts like his dad! He didn't waste any time getting the paper off. I realized that I didn't get any pictures of him actually opening gifts because he was too fast!

 Abby was thrilled to see that she had got a keyboard and a microphone. I guess we should be prepared for a noisy house.

 After we opened all the gifts the boys and Robb disappeared to the basement to watch the 1st Star Wars episode and put together the endless sets of Lego's that they had got. Abby and  I played with her microphone for a while and then dressed up her doll and played some games. Eventually Abby and I fell asleep on the couch and when I woke up it was 5:00. Robb and I had planned on making a nice supper but I wasn't feeling the best and Robb got wrapped up in Lego building so when I suggested that we got to our favorite place for Chinese everyone agreed. We went to Imperial Palace and had our usual 3 orders of Princess Beef. It was really nice and relaxing and the kids were very well behaved!
On the way home we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. The kids were exhausted when we got home but they woke up enough to put out the special cookies that we had saved for Santa and a big tall glass of milk. Oh, we didn't forget the reindeer either. They set out enough carrots for all the reindeer. After we got everything ready I was trying to decide where to set the plate of cookies and Abby said that it needed to go on the kitchen table because Santa is messy. I thought it was really cute that she remembered that Santa usually left a lot of cookie crumbs. We finished the night by reading The Night Before Christmas Story and then took 3 very tired kids up to bed.
After we were sure that everyone was asleep Robb and I (the elves) went to work setting up the Santa gifts. We were up pretty late getting everything set up and we knew that it would be an early morning with super excited kids.

(I almost forgot to stick this picture in. Robb got new wakeboard binding, which he was really excited about. I got a sewing machine which I was really excited about even though I really have no idea how to sew. The plan is that I will learn.)