Christmas 2011



This free digital slideshow made with Smilebox

We are so lucky to have been blessed with such a great Christmas this year. I love, love, love this time of year with all the family, food, memories, traditions and love. Last year my parents started to do "12 days of Christmas" for each of their kids. This years theme was "Believe". They did such a great job coming up with presents that involved different things to believe in; from service, Jesus, good music, to believing in your team, and everything in between! Our kids looked forward to opening the gift every night and talking about it as a family. I really hope they continue to do this new tradition, because it is making a lot of great memories for my kids.
With Kip and Sier getting older, Christmas is definitely changing at our house. Kip wanted a sniper air-soft, and Sier wanted drums. No "baby toys" for them. I'm so glad they really aren't into "toys" anymore. They both told us this was the best Christmas ever....score for us! Koy was so much fun this year. He loved the idea of Santa, but of course hated any moment he was near a real one. Everywhere we went it was "ho ho ho" anytime he saw a pictures, stuffed animal, or anything that resembled a Santa Claus. He loved looking at all the baby Jesus's and giving them kisses & hugs. He was so easy for Christmas presents too. We found him a bouncy horse, which he loves, but it's still just a little big for him. He climbs on it and holds onto the handles and wraps his legs around the neck! It's so cute. Everything else he got fits in a shoe-box! I think my parents had to open most of his presents for him, since he really wasn't interested in unwrapping, just what was in the box after it was unwrapped.
Sier finally figured out my dads "special secret" (he has a Santa costume and does a few part parties every year.) It was so cute, his cute little cousin was sitting on Santa's lap talking to him and Sier leans over to me and whispers "mom, Santa looks a lot like Grandpa, and he even talks just like him too." So then I had to tell him what we've been telling all the other kids who figure it out. "Grandpa is one of Santa's 'special helpers' who helps him because Santa is so busy at Christmas it's impossible to be to all the parties while he's trying to deliver the presents." Then of course, you have to follow that up with what a big secret it is, and how you can't tell anybody because it would ruin the Christmas magic. Oh my gosh, I would have sworn that kid just flew to the moon and back with all this "new found" knowledge! He thinks it's the neatest thing ever, and I know the secret's safe with him. He has LOVED Santa for far too long to let this out of the bag! (when he was 3, all he wanted was a Stomper Bumblebee and Santa to come over..good thing I have connections)
Mark and I also had a good Christmas. We got a new camera! (finally). the one we had was a step up from the point and shoot, but I've been wanting a DSLR for a few years, and we were finally able to scrimp, save, and sell enough of our stuff on KSL to get one! (we're obsessed with KSL) We got the Nikon 5100, and I love it!....I mean WE love it. Of course we both got the new outfit too. (what's Christmas without new clothes?)
So that's Christmas in a nutshell. I have so many more posts I want to do, and hopefully I'll have more time this week to get a few of them up here. Mark and I have some pretty big goals going on in our lives right now, some we've started, and some we're wanting to start. We've been reading a lot, thinking a lot, and having a lot of inspiration. 2012 is going to be different for us, but it's going to ROCK. (dont' worry, we really aren't joining a polygamist church!)