A Christmas Review.

Christmas 2010.

What a wonderful Christmas!

But first, I want to say a word about this guy. My guy. On our cruise back in June we made a deal. We would forgo the whale watching excursion in exchange for a diamond for me. We never found a good diamond on the cruise. Then when we got home I got rear ended and we needed all available funds to purchase a new vehicle. So the diamond was fast becoming an abandoned idea.

Christmas morning, after realizing a week before that a prong had busted on my wedding ring, I got my diamond. I haven't gotten a picture of it yet because my laptop went the way of the dino. So I just wasn't going to blog it. Now it's getting sized. I should have it back tomorrow and will show it off then. So the diamond deal was realized. For months Daniel had been talking to my sister in law who works for Ari Diamonds about a ring. And now I have it. Well, tomorrow I'll have it. Then my wedding ring can get fixed!

And no, I'm not blogging on the family computer. Yesterday while out getting ingredients for salad for last night's family party, we looked at laptops. And wouldn't you know it?! Sale! So I now have a laptop again. It's nice. It's gray. It was drastically inexpensive!

Daniel...I love you! Thank you for being mine!

Now on to the Christmas review....

Last Wednesday the kids had a sing along. Let's just say that we brought the camera, but weren't positioned to get great pictures of the kiddos. So I'll try to point them out to you.

Ruthie is in the purple shirt, which you can't really see, over to the left a bit.

The first graders sang Santa Clause Is Coming To Town. A Capella. They were awesome!

Isaac and the 5th graders sang...something. None of us can remember. Isaac can't remember. We're on vacation!

Isaac is in the middle off to the left. All the yellow shirts around him are the 5th and 6th grade choir.
Sam and the third graders sang Jingle Bell Rock. And boy did they rock! Even his teacher, who I LOVE!! was dancing while leading them! Do you see their faces? That's not just for the song. That's their love for their incredible teacher. She isn't allowed to retire until after she gets Ruthie in third grade in 2 years!

That evening we took the Front Runner to Salt Lake to have dinner and see the lights at Temple Square. Here is Daniel and 2 kiddos as we wait for the train!

And the third kiddo. It was cold!

We had lots of fun and are glad we only do it once a year!

The following evening we got a visit from Santa slash Grandpa. That's what the kids call him.

Here is Sam telling what he wants in Santa slash Grandpa's ear.

Then Isaac got a turn. He was very serious as he told Santa slash Grandpa what he wanted.

Ruthie was next. She was just happy to sit on his lap!

After their visit we went to a local home to see a live Nativity. Every year we forget. This year I put in on the calendar. It was so great. It was freezing and the straw we sat on was damp from the rain the night before, but the story and the music and the feeling....mmmmm....just perfect!

Then we came home and had hot cocoa and read Luke 2.

Christmas Eve was spent at Abbie and Poppy's house. We had dinner and then the kids did the nativity.

As we waited for the kids to get dressed, Uncle Adam, who is a new daddy to baby Reed, did his rendition of The Circle Of Life.

All the cute kids who participated in the Nativity. Poppy narrates. The oldest kids help dress the younger kids and Isaac took pictures.

Baby Reed was baby Jesus, but was taken off stage when Mary almost dropped him on his newborn crown while trying to pick up the binkie.

And then came Christmas.

While the kids were dreaming of sugar plumbs dancing in their heads, we set up.

The quilts that actually got to be Christmas quilts!

In each stocking we got Lagoon Season Passports. We will have a stupendous summer!

In the morning, we waited for everyone to wake up.

Then did Baby Formation.

That's the kids way of saying they go in birth order. Baby Formation. Works for me.

Can we please go now???

The bustle of Christmas morning.

We got movies and Wii games.

Isaac went to put a memory card in the Wii system and came back.

Daniel found a new remote in his stocking and asked the kids what it could be for?

The obvious answer was that it went to the TV in my bedroom.

.........

Then it clicked!

We upgraded our 12 year old TV with a broken on/off button and lines running through the picture.

We feel kinda fancy now!

And an important part of Christmas...

Family

Jesus

Health

Joy

and...

Chocolate

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

And soon, a fantastic new year!