Merry Christmas!

I love Christmas.  I love everything about it.  The music, the lights, the decorations, the baking, the time with family.  But, mostly I love how everyone's hearts are just a little softer.  Everybody seems to be a little nicer, a little slower to anger, quicker to forgive, more willing to love.  That's because it is a time when we remember the One who is the perfect example of all that is good.  

My sister, Wendy, had a baby boy just a few weeks before Christmas and 

took this precious picture.  I love it so much.  

Another thing I love about Christmas is all the parties and gatherings!  And I love it especially when our home is filled with people at Christmas.  We got to host quite a few activities this year and we had so much fun.  Here, the Young Women had a party for one of their Mutual activities....

Our Ward had a Christmas Breakfast one Saturday morning and it was a great event.   At the end the kids were thrilled to hear that Santa Claus had arrived!  Oh wait, my kids actually had no desire to sit on Santa's lap.  I think they were scared.  They finally did it just for the candy cane.  And I got my pictures!

Here are a few of Ginger and Gillian's good friends.  They were in a little skit together, thus the matching outfits!

I love Christmas Eve.  It is definitely different living so far from family but we have really enjoyed sharing the day with friends and having some special time with just our little family.  We had some friends over for food and games and re-enacting the Christmas story in Luke ( no pictures, aargh!).

Christmas morning was wonderful as always.  Our kids totally slept in which was fantastic since Don and I had been up waaaaay too late the night before.   Our kids must have been good because Santa definitely came through this year....

Ethan got an exercise ball and spent the entire day bouncing all around the house on it.

Ryan finally got her bitty baby from American Girl.  She takes such good care of it.

Davis was thrilled with his tether ball but couldn't play 'til it was moved outside and even then, it was too cold!  He can't wait for Spring.  

Gilli is our little actress and loves making videos and was ecstatic about her new Flip video camera.

Ginger has a knack for crafts and sewing and is excited to become an amazing seamstress with her new machine!

It was a wonderful day spent as a family and we all felt spoiled and very blessed.  Don surprised with an iPhone 4 and I love love love it!  The saddest part about Christmas Day is that we have to wait a whole year for it to be Christmas time again.  But, in just two days our extended family would be arriving from CA and KY and we could hardly wait for them to get here!