Christmas 2011

First, doesnt Austin look so grown up??? We had a fabulous Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I loved every minute of it.  The events leading up to those two days were exhausting but on Christmas Eve day about noon I started to get in the Christmas spirit.  We had school up until Wednesday the 21st.  Does that  explain all the exhaustion?  I think it is dumb that we did not have more time off before hand.  Next year if this happens again I will be taking a personal day do get all my Christmas preparations done.  I had a HUGE cold sore that had even infected my lymph nodes because of all the mental and physical toll the holiday's brought.  

   

 The boys started off the evening with decorating Gingerbread Houses.  They turned out very cute and we even kept the dogs from eating them.  Next, we opened our Christmas Eve jammies.  Everyone liked their jammies (even Luke) and best of all they all fit!  My mom and brother came up and they even got new P.J.'s

 We totally missed Burkeley this year!  I hated that he was away and couldnt even call home.  We continued our Christmas Eve by reading the Nativity Story from the Scriptures.  In 17 years of marriage this is the first time we have actually read the Nativity Story.  Steve's dad sometimes comes over and retells it or we watch a video about the birth of the Savior but we have never sat the kids down to read it.

Christmas morning started at 5 a.m.  I always get soooo excited for the day to start and I can never sleep.  I even had to wake the kids up!  What 38 year old does that?  The boys got an xbox 360 from Santa.  Austin, Luke, and Nate each got a 22 gun (thats safe, I totally know) and Tyler got a back tire for his mountain bike.  I scored big time with 2 pairs of Ugg boots.  My mom and Steve both got me a pair.  Grandpa and Grandma Christian came over about 7 to see what Santa brought.  I took a few pictures of them but  Laurel had her eyes closed in all of them.

Unfortunately, Steve had to work at 8 a.m. on Christmas Day (another cause of my stress). So the kids, mom and my brother took off for Las Vegas to have a traditional breakfast with my side of the family.

Jeff and My momma's dog Zelda

Look at Jamey's beard!!!  Steve wishes his was that thick and dark.  

My little brother, Zach.  The boys loved that their Uncle Zach was with us for Christmas day.  He is always  so great to them.  

Earlier in the year, we had a little scare  well, BIG scare  with Grandma's Health.  I haven't blogged about it cause I dont want to think about how hopeless I felt knowing that Grandma was sick and there was nothing I could do about it.  He she is happy and healthy in all of her 80 year glory!  

Here Steve is opening his special present from Uncle Jeff.

The boys and I traveled home after the day filled of family.  I wish that time could have lasted forever.  We got home about 6 p.m. and totally fell asleep by 7:30.  I wish I could say that all my stress before had was worth it, because it wasn't, but all in all it turned out to be a MERRY CHRISTMAS.