Christmas 2012!

We had such a great Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We started it off with a mega party at the Tousa house. She made all the food for 80 people and we all ate and socialized and had a very merry time. After the food, they had a few great games for the kids and adults alike. It was a great way to start off our Christmas and a super fun tradition.

After the fun we spent the day wrapping up presents and enjoying our time together with Christmas music in the background. That night we had the Bullard family over to help us celebrate. We spent the evening eating chili, salad and cornbread, playing the candy bar game, and listening to a sweet story and writing out our gifts to Jesus. It was a little quieter than we are used to, but we loved it. As my kids get older, we all just have so much fun together and less of a need for lots of extra people.

After the Bullard's left, we opened our "jammies" from Mimi and Papa this year. The boys got basketball clothes and they could not have been more thrilled. These are the only kinds of clothes they get excited about.

One tradition we started this year that we will be keeping is the boys also opened up the gifts they got for each other on Christmas night. It is perfect because they are always so excited about what they got for each other and then so appreciative even though they are just dollar store gifts because they are the only things they opened that night. There is genuine love and gratitude expressed for each other on Christmas Eve and I loved seeing that. It makes giving feel really fun when people react so warmly and excited to the gift you purchased. Our home felt so warm. I loved every minute of it. We are still at perfect ages for Christmas and I kind of wish time could stop.

Our final tradition was to sprinkle the ground with reindeer food and place cookies and milk out for Santa then everyone was off to bed and Mike and I watched a few more Christmas movies (I had been making him watch them all month :).

CHRISTMAS DAY!!!
Such excitement! I'm not sure who loved it more...me or the kids :). They were all just so excited and so grateful for everything. Living away means you really open a lot on Christmas morning, so it was all super fun and exciting.

This is what happens when Mike takes the picture

Santa left some balls and a little Christmas trail for the boys to follow

Jace super pumped about his new book. He is a crazy reader.

2 huge soccer goals for the backyard. Too bad it isn't warm enough to use them right now.

They finally figured out the Santa trail and balls and found DOUBLE SHOT. Hooray!

Santa left Pierce a tool set, but he was most excited about the candy he swiped.

He loved his new books and cars. The boys loved introducing him to Christmas!

From us the boys got new Wii games, some books a couple DVDs and Santa filled their stocking with lots of other great stuff! Spoiled kids, but they didn't act like it for one moment!

From Mimi and Papa the boys scored Lion King play tickets. We can't wait to go in February!

Watching a preview of the show. Already excited.

Parker with his Nerf Blaster gun from my parents.

Jace loved his Monopoly game, Life game and football from my parents

Piercey loved his quiet book

James loved his legos more than it looks.

All of our siblings were so sweet to send gifts! Games, elf of the shelf, soap and candy. We felt way too spoiled!

Gummy and Gumpy sent the boys some funny faces! 

We had a wonderfully lazy day, eating breakfast, playing with all of our toys, and watching movies. Pierce was getting sick and so was I. Boo to that, but it was a really great day!