Christmas 2012

Christmas was wonderful, as it always is, but it was special this year because we had so much family in town.  All but 3 families were home for Christmas!  We missed Bethany, Charisa and Deborah and their families.  We got to meet baby Braden Scott for the first time which was a special treat too!  We had fun getting together and playing games and eating and visiting.  Another reason I feel it was so wonderful was that Christmas came on a Sunday this year.  At first I wasn't too excited about that but, it was a wonderful feeling to be able to pause during the morning to attend sacrament meeting as a family and dedicate the hour to Him whose birth we were celebrating that day.

Seeing Santa at the Ward Christmas Party.
Annie would not participate this year.

Daddy's little Angels

Meeting baby Braden for the first time.  Alice 9yrs. old

Mary and Braden Scott

The girls were so excited to meet baby Braden.  It was fun to get to hold and play with a baby again.  We also found out that Cat Tails, a local zoo, was offering free passes to come see the animals.  So we went of course!  Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!  The girls loved it!  Jamie and Isla went with us too.

The girls experienced even more Christmas partying when we decided to have a Christmas cookie and craft party with some of their friends.  I decided to let each girl invite 2 friends which then turned into 4 friends each because it was too hard to choose just two... and what if some couldn't come...It turned out that everyone was able to attend!  We had 14 girls in our home for a couple hours of Christmas cookie decorating, ornament making and game playing fun.  It went pretty smoothly overall and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.  We love Christmas!

Cookie cutting and decorating

Downstairs to create canning lid ornaments - cute!

Alice helps the pre-schoolers!  Annie, Emily & Gwyn

Ava and Mary

Enjoying our cookie creations - yum!

Back downstairs for a relay game - getting dressed in
winter wear and eating chocolate as quick as you can
then run back to your group.  It ended in a tie!

Alice and Mary race at the finish!

Finally, Christmas Eve came!  We enjoyed food and company and the Christmas story at my Mom & Dad's home with everyone.  And then came home to get ready for Santa to arrive!

Mary leaves a note and cookies and milk for Santa

Why 9 stockings you ask?  For the 3 animals of course!

Santa left pillow pets!

Smokey is loved by Santa too!

Christmas on Sunday this year!

We opened stockings before church and came home and then
opened the gifts under the tree.  The kids changed back into
there jammies!  We all look better in these pictures :)

Movie tickets and gift cards for Dylan

Homemade magnets for Grandma Susan

Lots of special homemade gifts from the girls this year!  They
really got into the gift giving.  Even Annie had special surprises
for us under the tree.  So fun!

Big glasses from Grandma Susan were a big hit. :)

American Dolls - (a replica)

Time to play!