Christmas is Finally Here!!

on my blog...

Sorry for the delay, but here's the special day! (Tee hee! Sometimes I like to rhyme.)

Tradition
For the last 4 years (I think?) we have been sledding at my parents on the afternoon of Christmas Eve.

Click here to see the last 2 Christmas Eves 2008 and 2009

The only thing that made it so different this year was the fact that, for Marc and I, it was a different family dynamic than it had been in the past. Without Kelsey and J.R. there it made it a little, umm, well, the lines were shorter... and, of course, we missed them.

About a month ago we gave my dad one of our cameras because Marc got a new one. My dad hasn't had a camera for about, oh, 25 years! So it was fun to see him out there taking pictures! I can't wait to put the annual family Christmas DVD together—that is something we all look forward to.

Me, Baby, Mom, Kirsten, Jessie, Dad, Brother and MrT

Grandpa with his camera

Grandma was a little hesitant to get on with the girls...

Priceless

Uncle Joel pulls Brother and Sister through the hay field to the South of the house.

Sister was a dare-devil

Brother fell off and no one knew till he was left way behind—Grandpa went and saved him

We just had to get a picture of Baby's gloves. I forgot to bring some for her so she is wearing mine! Ha!

After sledding we try to fix ourselves up a bit and get a picture taken in front of my parents' Tree.

Then we went to sing for Great Grandma again to wish her a Merry Christmas, and then quickly back home.

Santa always comes to see us on Christmas Eve at my parents house... you see, we were such good kids that Santa is still impressed with us and comes to visit us special on Christmas Eve... (wink). The best part is going outside to listen for the bells.

We still believe... (look at my mom's face)

Santa always brings us oranges.

We get to tell him what we want for Christmas.

We love to get an "orange family picture" in front of the tree.

Then we open all the gifts we got eachother (we rotate families each year so we all have one family that we give $15-$20 gift to that family).

My brother, Daniel and his family are in Florida so we didn't get to see them.

And my brother, Aaron and his family weren't there either because Chelsea had been having some strong contractions... did I tell you my sister-in-law was pregnant? Hmmm... well she is, I mean, was... just wait.

Then we went home and had fun.

This was Christmas morning at our house.

It was a great one! We all enjoyed what we received.

Then we had waffles on my new waffle maker, got ready and headed over to Grandma and Grandpa G's for Christmas day with them.

They pretty much opened everyone's gifts—that was so fun for them—maybe not so much for everyone else...

While we were at Lynne and Gary's I got a text from Aaron telling us their baby was born! Right on Christmas day. He said they brought her in in a Christmas stocking... Cute.

Earlier, around Thanksgiving Marc's sister, Amber had a baby. So we have had 2 new additions into the family this year (2010).