Our Christmas (and a partridge in a pear tree)

In 2009 our Christmas memories...
12 minute sledding
11 holiday pounds
10 days off school
9 Nativity figures
8-year-old birthday
7 sword fights
6 dozen cookies
5 o'clock: neighbors sing!
4 degrees outside
3 pairs of jammies
2 Santa spy-ers
and some nose hair trimmers for my hubby!

Christmas Eve was spent with Preslie opening her gifts and us hanging out at home.

In the evening, we joined our neighbors in the street by the fire side singing carols and drinking hot chocolate. What a fun tradition.



After attempting to act out the Nativity from the Bible, it was time for bed.

Preslie and Hunter slept on the couch Christmas Eve in hopes to catch Santa. Christmas morning, I heard them talking so I went in and they said, "He didn't come! We stayed up ALL night and we didn't see him! Maybe we were too bad." I pointed to the pile of presents and bulging stockings and they squealed and jumped out of bed.

In my family growing up, we savored the present opening time on Christmas morning. One person would open a gift and we would all watch and get excited for them. After big hugs exchanged by the gift giver and receiver, the next person would open something, and so on. My kids could not be restrained and it turned into kind of an organized free-for-all. Oh well, I guess they had waited a long time for this day!



Later that afternoon, I wanted to try out my new sled from Santa! It was so fun! We went to the park a block away that has some great hills. Mack is so fun; he was braver than his big bro and sis. Dax sent him down the hill by himself (laying down, so he couldn't fall).