Christmas '09

Christmas 2009 will go down in the books as being one of the best, I think! Everything was perfect! I couldn't have asked for anything more! I just loved every minute of it!

On Christmas Eve, we all got together at my parents' house for the annual Christmas Eve dinner & party. This is my favorite night of the year...lots of food, fun & family! Here's me, Kristin & my mom in front of only part of "the feast!"


After dinner, we always play bingo for little presents. My grandma started this tradition back when I was probably about 10 & we have done it ever since. My parents buy lots of little gifts...some of them funny, some of them totally awesome...and wrap them up. Then, when you get bingo, you get to open a present or steal someone else's. It is so much fun! Here's Cohen with some gloves he won. They're a little too big for him, but perfect for me!


So much fun...

Here's all our loot we ended up with...we got everything from toys to food to games. I was pretty jealous though because Kristin ended up with some ShamWow's that I had my eye on. Haha! The only thing better would have been if there was a Snuggie in there too!

After bingo, we opened all our gifts from Nana & Poppy. The kiddos were spoiled rotten & so were Mike & I. We got a food processor that we have been wanting, a really nice iron (for you girls that were in quilt group, it's one like my mom's that we all loved so much), and lots of other stuff. Thank you Mom & Dad! You guys are too good to us! Here's the boys and Uncle Dan looking through a book that Cohen got from Nana and Poppy...

Once the gifts were open, we calmed things down a little bit & read the Christmas Story out of Luke, then had a family prayer & headed home. It was a great evening!

Once we got home, we quickly put some cookies & milk for Santa (and some carrots for Rudolph) and then we wrote a letter to Santa. The boys felt the need to apologize for several recent transgressions & made promises to do better next year if Santa would just PLEASE bring them presents & not put a lump of coal in their stockings. Haha! Too cute!

Then, it was off to bed!

The next morning, the boys actually slept in! Connor finally woke up at about 8:15 am. I told him he had to wait upstairs until his brothers woke up, so what does he do?!? He goes & wakes them up! Well, what did I expect!?! Cohen woke up pretty easy, but Aiden was dead to the world! Connor was jumping on his bed saying, "Aiden! Wake up! It's Christmas! Let's go see what Santa brought us!!!" Aiden just rolled over & mumbled, "I'll see it later! Right now, I just want to sleep!" What in the world?!? I have never heard of a four-year-old that has done this before! Finally, after another couple of minutes, he changed his mind & decided that it was worth it to get up. Here's everyone waiting at the top of the stairs...

We were all slightly excited...

Cohen got a little fire truck bike & a ball from Santa...

Connor got a Lego X-Wing (which he put together by himself in less than an hour...this kid is a lego wiz)...

And Aiden got some mini skateboards & a ramp...

I told my boys they could only ask Santa for one present this year because, frankly, I'm sick of this guy getting all the credit, and I'm also sick of my kids having this attitude that they can ask Santa for a million things. It's not cool when it takes you five minutes to rattle off your list to some old guy in the mall. So, I told them it had been a tough year for a lot of people...including Santa...and that they could ask him for one thing. Then, they could make a list of other things that they wanted from mom & dad. I think it was an awesome idea & I think it will become our norm from now on.

Next, it was on to the stockings...

Cohen wasn't too interested in looking through his stocking. Instead, he decided to eat some of Santa's cookie crumbs...

Finally, after he had cleaned the plate, he decided to join in on the stocking fun...

Then, it was time to open some presents. Cohen really liked ripping the wrapping paper...

But, he was more interested with the boxes than with what was in them...

Next year, he's getting a bunch of boxes & packing foam for Christmas...that's all I have to say!

A little later in the morning, Mike's Dad & brother, Brian, came down to visit. (Mike's mom was in Nashville with Mike's other siblings, Kimber & David.) They brought even more presents & lots of yummy food too...

Finally, at about lunchtime, we all got dressed & headed down to Nana & Poppy's house. Mike's dad & brother came with us too. We ate leftovers from the night before & just hung out all day...just playing and chatting. Here's Aiden playing a new game on the Wii...

And, Connor & Gavin playing Twister...

And, the adults playing a game called "Fact or Crap." It was actually pretty fun!

Then we ended the night by watching the movie "Four Christmases" while the kiddos played Wii downstairs. It was just a perfect Christmas! I enjoyed every single minute of it! I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas too!!! --Lindsay