Christmas Day!!

There is nothing quite like Christmas morning with kiddos...pure excitement and magic! The big boys woke up super early and it was so hard for them to wait for little bro to wake up!  

But the wait was worth it. Everyone ended up with exactly what they had hoped for...jerseys, wii games, a bike, action figures, legos,...!

The big surprise this year was Air Soft guns for everyone. The boys were thrilled that Santa brought something they didn't expect to get.

Piercey was thrilled with everything and loved opening and playing with gifts!

After our Christmas morning, we lazied around a bit, playing with toys and enjoying all our new items. Then we did some final packing and loaded the car...stopping first at Grandma and Grandpa's!

They always make Christmas so meaningful and special with 4 gifts for each child... one something that lasts (a DVD full of pictures my mom has taken for the entire year, priceless!), one is something spiritual (a lego temple building set), swaddling clothes (a new outfit) and then something fun...

This year the fun was an Air Hockey table! Too cool.

They were also super generous with us this year...cash and new Kindles. Hooray!! They also continued our theme of BE THE GOOD and introduced a family journal and shared some great thoughts. Love them.

After spending a fun afternoon there, we drove the 4.5 hours to St. George to find that even in a tourist town, EVERYTHING is closed for Christmas. So, with all of us starving, we stopped at Walgreen's and bought frozen pizzas to eat as our Christmas dinner. Not gourmet, but surely a fun memory. Love this little family of mine!

Found a few more great photos of the boys on the Sunday before Christmas that I did not want to forget!

Christmas Eve 2014

Christmas Eve this year will go down as one of my very favorite memories. The day was warm and beautiful. Instead of building snowmen, our ward got together for a little football game. It was fun to have Mike home to enjoy it too!

After some last minute prepping and wrapping, we headed to Gummy and Gumpy's for our traditional Christmas Eve together. I have always loved the feel of bunches of people, yummy food and a little bustle on on Christmas Eve. Loved having my boys be a part of all I remembered growing up!

I love this picture!

These boys are all so darling!

Incredibly grateful for these awesome grandparents of mine!!

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We always love hearing Gumpy's thoughts each year. This year it was all about "time" and doing what you can to love each other and serve the Lord. Both Gummy and Gumpy are such great examples of that. This year they gave all the adult children an awesome cuckoo clock to remind us of this. We are excited to hang it in our home!

They are always so sweet to remember the great grandchildren with special gifts each year!

Pierce felt like he won the lottery with his cool laser gun. He played with it for weeks!

Parker and James each took part in the program and played one of their Christmas songs on the piano. I am so proud of them for developing their musical talents!

That night with full bellies and happy hearts, we drove into our neighborhood to the most magnificent sight. Each year the entire neighborhood places lanterns along the sidewalk. We drove through, singing carols and exclaiming to each other how beautiful the night was and how happy we were to be together. My heart was so full, I had tears in my eyes and I reflected on my gratitude for the little and big people in the car with me and the many others who I share this journey with. It was a beautiful moment that we didn't want to end...peace, joy, contentment. We all relished in it together.

After we arrived home, the boys opened their Christmas jammies and then opened the gifts they bought for each other at the dollar store. There was so much excitement, love and gratitude for each person and each gift. It reminded me that through all the crazy days, they are wonderful boys that I get the opportunity to raise. They really adore each other and it makes our home such a happy place.

Mike and I sat back, smiling after we got out Santa cookies and tucked them all in to bed. We are in a sweet spot right now and cherishing ever moment we have together. Christmas Eve, was more magical than it had ever been...not because of the anticipation of presents but because of a palpable feeling of love in our home that night. Grateful for traditions and holidays that allow us to stop, enjoy and express that love.