Christmas!

Finally!!!  It is Christmas!

 I had to get some pictures of the living room because that's what my mom used to do and it is nostalgic like crazy to look at those pictures, I love them.

 We were busy Christmas Eve making our cookies for Santa!

I had ample amounts of help from Smalls and Tink.  Here they are in their Christmas jammies, ready to head off to bed!

 And here is the sideways picture of cookies and milk for Santa with a lovely bow from Smalls.

 Rambo and I stayed up, I had a few more things to wrap, and we watched the Lone Ranger...um, it wasn't exactly Christmas material, but I was just happy to have him home on a Christmas Eve.  That doesn't always happen, so I was just feeling blessed to have him here.

When I finished all my wrapping, we came downstairs to check on the kids, and then we streamered the hallway to make sure they didn't bust into the living room before us.

 Look at that.  Worked like a charm.

They look like cattle behind a fence.

 I don't know what the problem was with my camera this morning, but we seem to have a ghost in these next pictures.

Kermit is discovering all his goodies from his stocking.

 And Smalls is finding all sorts of treasures in her stocking.

See that little dog in front of Smalls?  That is Zoomer.  He is the only thing Smalls wanted for Christmas.  She couldn't believe her eyes when she actually got him!  He was just sitting by all her presents and she just about came apart.  She played with him all day, made him a bed, learned all his commands.  She really does treat him like a little pet.

Thank you Santa!

 Kermit has got some reading to do!

He has been really interested in military stuff lately and Nana and Grandpa found these books for him.

 Grammy got each of the girls a big Lalaloopsy doll, and they were both excited and giggly over them.  Can I just tell you how annoying those boxes are to wrap?

Sure they're cute, but they can be cute and not be such wonky, weird shapes so that mommies over the land can wrap these dollies and not want to throw the box across the room.

Actually, I was kind of amazed at myself and how good they looked when I did wrap them.

I accept your challenge Lalaloopsy boxes.

 Super excited.

They both thought the dolls were cute, but then they oohed and aahed over their cute little pets.

 And Smalls was über excited to get the Lalaloopsy Workshop!

We had to put them together immediately!

They are quite cute.

 And there they are in the mess of things.

They were all quite pleased with the things they got.

Tink got Skylanders Swap Force and couldn't wait to get that plugged in so we could play.  And, thanks to Grandpa, she got about a zillion Skylanders to go with it!  She also got tons of arts and crafts, we have been having a blast putting those to use.

Kermit wanted Nerf guns and he got 2 of the best! 

One from Santa and one from Grandpa.  He was messing with them all day.

Over all, it was just a good morning full of surprises.

 After croissants and presents, we got dressed and went with the Sorenson's in our ward (yep, the Sorenson's.  He and I are going to do a Family history research to see if we're related, because o-n is not all that common.  Plus, his wife's name is Mary!  My grandma's name was Mary Sorenson, so she and I decided we needed to be super friends) to the nursing home to sing carols.

Brother Sorenson is the coordinator at this particular nursing home and his wife invited everyone in the ward to come sing if we wanted to.

 I knew it would be a good idea because my kids need more experiences like this, and because Rambo needed the house to be quiet so he could sleep.  He did have to work Christmas night :(

So, the Sorenson's came here, and I followed them to the Cluff's house, and we drove out to the nursing home.

When we walked in and made our way back to the lunch room I saw the cutest thing I have ever seen.  There was a resident sitting in his room just blaring Christmas music.  It was the happy kind-Jingle Bells and the like.  He was sitting on his bed, eating his sandwich and just bouncing along to the tune of the music.  It was so cute.

He didn't join us in the lunchroom, but he waved at us.

 Here's all the kids!  Look at how cute and happy they are, except Kermit.

Come on, Kermit, smile!

We sang while the residents were eating their lunch and it was so touching.  There was a man sitting by a window who was blind, and as soon as we started singing Silent Night, he sang right along with us and started crying and getting choked up.  There was one lady who just smiled from ear to ear the whole time we were singing, and there was another sweet lady who just cried from the time we started singing until we were done.

It was really cool too see how it touched my kids.

We were all finished at this point and they were ready to get back home and play and have some lunch. 

Once we got home, we ate and watched Christmas shows and played upstairs to try to keep the house quiet for Daddy.  The kids were wonderful and they kept talking about our experience at the nursing home.

I sure do love these kids.

I loved spending the day with them and making this sweet memory with them.

 And I thought it only fitting to end with this picture.

She just could not get enough of her new puppy.

I love you kiddos.