Christmas Day

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Christmas Day

The morning started at 5:10.

That's when I woke up, restless and excited.

Every year I sneak into the boys room and wake them up.

Then I let them wake up Andy and play innocent.

OK, maybe not EVERY year.

Sometimes I am honest and wake up Andy before I go get the boys.

This year was an honest year - I woke up Andy.

We wanted to let the boys sleep, so we waited.

I took pictures of us while we waited.

Andy hid from the flash of the camera.

We made it until almost 7:00 before I finally gave in and went to wake up the boys.

(That's a record for me - I usually don't wait past 6:00.)

The boys stumbled out of bed and were eager to start with their stockings.

After having fun discovering all sorts of goodies in our stockings, we moved on to presents.

This was a fun year with Peter.

EVERYTHING he opened was received with an excited shriek:

"I wanted this!"

I think he takes after Andy.

Ammon is more like me.

Every time he opened a present he was quiet and serious.

But because I am like him, I could wait, and see how happy he was on the inside.

Sometimes he just needed a minute to process what he had unwrapped.

This was a really good year, but one of my absolute highlights was giving Andy this new coat.

Just a few days before Christmas, I went to do some last minute shopping.

Andy and I have never been in a position to do much for each other when it comes to Christmas gifts.

But as I was out, I decided that the best thing I could think of to do with my birthday money

was to buy some Christmas gifts for my husband.

Earlier in the month I had some pretty specific ideas of what he might want.

And I had been really sad that I couldn't buy them.

Suddenly I realized that I could!

I went through the store, retrieving most everything from my list.

Ammon had gotten some new pants recently, and Andy wanted a similar pair.

He wanted a new pair of pajama pants.

I wanted him to have a new U of U shirt because even though his other one is stained, he still wears it.

And then I found it - the coat.

All I knew was that he wanted a coat like Ammon's.

The one I found seemed to fit the bill.

But Andy is a FUN person to buy for.

He was shocked!

And he was thrilled!

To me, it was just the first coat I came across that looked right.

But to him it was the world!

Giving him the coat was definitely the best birthday present I have ever had.

Santa wanted to make sure we had lots of fun things to do on Christmas.

The family got Skip Bo

Ammon got MouseTrap.

Peter got a Super Why game.

There were nerf guns, DVD's, puzzles and Legos.

After presents, Peter helped me make cinnimon rolls.

Then, my parents and sister came over for Andy's yummy breakfast.

We had bacon and sausage with hashbrowns and cheesey scrambled eggs.

Grandpa played Ammon's new Battle Ship game with him.

(That was fitting since it was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Nunes.)

And picked Peter up by his ears.

After they left, we had a major nerf gun war.

Ammon got his first gun in a gift exchange with cousins

(Thanks Maeli/Kambria!)

The boys both liked it so much that Santa brought them a twin set.

Andy decided that with his boys both having guns, he would need one of his own.

I tried to point out the fact that we already had one, and one plus two equals three.

But that didn't work.

Santa brought Andy his very own gun.

That's how we ended up with four guns - which is how I ended up being part of the gun show.

It was an amazing amount of fun.

And completely exhausting.

Ammon got out his Legos.

And put the whole thing together all by himself!

All he asked for ALL season long was Atlantis Legos.

He wanted FIVE different packages all belonging to the same series.

Santa played it conservatively and only got him one small set.

Santa regretted that immediately.
But Ammon was thrilled with what he had, so it was OK.

Peter went outside to ride his new scooter.

(Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Nunes.)

Grandma and Grandpa Shadel came over in the evening.

We had a delicious dinner:

Honey Baked ham AND turkey

(I LOVE their turkey)

Lion House potatoes, cheesey garlic rolls, and veggies.

I was going to make a pie for dessert, but we just ate more cinnimon rolls instead.

Overall, I don't think I could have asked for a better Christmas.

(Well, I would have liked to have slept in a little later...

It's an ongoing goal. One of these years I'll figure it out.)

1 comment:

KristaDecember 30, 2010 at 8:51 AM
What a fantastic Christmas! When all this horrible snow melts we gotta get Peter and Kambria together with their scooters! (Kambria got a pink one JUST like Peter's from G & G Johnson.) They would have a blast!
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Family Proclamation

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.