Christmas Morning

I can't decide if I think Christmas morning was more fun as a child or if it is more fun as the mom, but I did decide the reason we celebrate Christmas in the midst of winter, is so we all have something to look forward to when the weather is so dreary and cold.

Dress-ups and dolls are still the big hit...which I love girl stuff is so fun!

Abby's Christmas reqests:  A vet set and a baby play station.  Jeana informed Abby she thought they both should get three gifts total.  One each and one to share, mom loved the idea and thought it was sweet of Jeana to think so, Abby threw a big fit and said that wasn't enough presents.  Not surprised.  In the end, they both wanted the baby play station and one other gift, but since David is there father, they made out with a lot more than that.

We spotted a little reindeer

My parents came out in the fall and because they drove, they decided to load up the car with lots of my stuff that was left at home...gee thanks mom and dad!  Most of which went into the garbage after it's arrive, but glad we could help with the gas mileage!  j/k  Anyhow, I had these porcelain dolls I got for Christmas when I was young enough to think they were cool, but too old to actually play with them, so they stayed in box for many years.  I would have told my parents to throw them away other than it was close to Christmas and not knowing what else to get my children besides their few requests, I decided to wrap these for them.  I cannot believe what a big hit they were.  I think they were actually the favorite present.  I told them they were from me (because we leave our tags ambiguous we don't write if they are from us or Santa) and I saved them from when I was little, Jeana then said, "really?  Mom I am going to take really good care of my doll and save it for my own daughter someday."  I thought that was cute, but don't think they will last that long.

There is nothing better than a new book for Christmas.

Wow, talk about spoiled!  David purposely pushes the presents to one area and then arranges them so the kids think there is more there.

My girls were so excited for Christmas they had a hard time falling asleep, because of this, they were so tired we had to wake them up at 8 am!  I actually got smart and ambitious this year and had everything wrapped and labelled a week in advance and stocking supplies sorted into grocery bags.  It was the earliest we have ever gone to bed on Christmas Eve.  It was great!

Jeana Christmas request: a drum set (luckily, but sadly it didn't really work, it was really quiet, so I felt bad for her, but it was nice to not hear loud noises all day!)  A few years ago we got Jeana a camera, but it didn't really work and that was her 'big' gift so I felt really bad, this year I felt even worse that she got the bummer end of the deal, but she requested it a few days before Christmas and Toys r Us only has so much to choose from, but being the good sport she is, she still loved the day and loved everything!

The girls got up to open stockings and in the meantime, David went down to skype his parents, so we didn't catch the initial surprise on camera of the kids coming down to the tree and while talking to Grandma and Grandpa the girls just started opening presents, so there was absolutely no order to present opening this year and because they just started opening, we didn't even do the nativity until Family Night the next Monday...sad, I know.  But we told lots of stories throughout the month.

So, I might not be the world's best stay-in-contact person or even blog-updater, but I am even worse at getting out formal thank you's for all the nice things people send or do for us.  So, if you would, please forgive me!  Each year, I take pictures of the girls holding the gifts they get, thinking it would be fun to send them bach to the giver, but alas it never happens.  So instead I posted these pictures, so hey, consider this a formal thank you for Grandma and Grandpa Simpson for the fun shirts!  My girls loved them and I personally enjoyed the candy.

The girls headed to our room first to check out their stockings fully loaded with candy, a new toothbrush, orange, sprite and a few small toys.  Jeana got milano cookies in her stocking because for some reason she loves those things.