Our Merry Christmas

Here are some pictures and a few of the highlights of our merry Christmas. It began with my 11 siblings gathering at my brothers house on Friday the 21st for our Christmas party and gift exchange. It was fun to see everyone, only my sister Carolyn and her family were missing, her husband Darren is in Iraq and she didn't want to drive over from Colorado. We missed them and Mike, my nephew on a mission in Guatemala, and his brother Trevor who choose friends over his aunts, uncles and cousins, what's up with that?

Then Joseph's birthday party Saturday morning and Sunday choir and sharing time. Sunday night Richards family came for a birthday party for Joseph and Dorothy, Richards sister Cori Ann' s darling baby girl. We had presents and Chicken Cordon Bleu and loved watching Dorothy eat her 1 year old cake. Dave and Linda and Janell came by on their way home from St. George, fun to see them twice in one month.

Monday I had a million things to do, I guess I should have spent less time Blogging...no I always have a million things to do on Christmas eve. As I was making Cheesey Potatoes for dinner at my Mom's Adam kept running out to the front porch and yelling for Santa to hurry up and come, then he would run to the couch and look out the window and yell, "I think I see him! go check." Then he would run to the front door and look around and run in to tell me Santa was never coming.

Christmas Eve at Moms' was fun, dinner and carols and giant Hershey Bars from Grandma for all the kids(cause they weren't wired enough). Then home with our friends the Baileys for a gift exchange. We got lots of neat gifts and gave our friend Cherrann a little red chair that made her cry, as she was calming her emotions Joshua leaned over to me and said, "Mom, if I get the Wii I will cry like that," he's not only very persistent he's also rather witty. Our boys gave Richard and I the gifts they had bought us, Jeremiah and Benjamin gave Richard a collection of old country music songs, we spent a couple hours listening to music and holding the two little ones trying to get them to sleep. Joseph closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep in about five minutes after being told Santa would leave if anyone was awake when he came. Adam finally fell to sleep after, 5 empty threats, 4 sippy cups of milk, 3 little spankings, 2 scowls from daddy and 1 determined Mommy.




Christmas Morning dawned early and snowy, nice to have a white Christmas. We wouldn't let the kids get up until 7:00 AM after all the excitement the night before Adam was really grumpy about waking up. We had a family prayer then went in to see what Santa had left.










We started cooking bacon, sausage, patties and links, and German Pancakes for 45 assorted friends and family. Richard had to brave the cold to get the meat cooked and Susan made German Pancakes as fast as she could and we still had people waiting in line. We love this six year tradition if you didn't come this year you should definitely plan for next.


This is what everyone did Christmas afternoon, Mom is taking pictures of course, and I think Jacob disappeared downstairs for a nap.
Daddy and Adam were so tired they were both out in under 5 minutes. Joshua and his brothers love the Wii and Benjamin who is into art and had never seen a Spiro graph thought the little travel size one in his stocking was the coolest invention ever.

We ended the day with dinner and more gifts at Grandma and Grandpa Smiths' then went back home to play with our Wii, Mom even played.



Wii wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!