Christmas notes.... 2009

This last week was Christmas. I’ve never had more fun at Christmas than I had watching my kids enjoy it!! They were just beautiful.

On Christmas eve we had a beautiful dinner with the Prusso family and our friends the Bangerters. We ate our traditional Cioppino soup with crusty bread. It is fish soup with a tomato base. Really lovely. We also had Marcia’s chicken and Isaac made the mashed potatoes famously. We had home smoked salmon and shrimp as well.. We were definitely fine dining but in the luxury of our own home!!

After our guests went home, we watched home movies and had our “money hunt.” Twenty dollars of our hard earned money were changed into quarters and hid all over the upstairs family room. The kids were let out one at a time to fill their Christmas stockings with quarters. Not one of them was more excited than the rest…they loved it!! Well, Daniel slept through it, so I guess maybe he took a break this year. He’ll definitely be up for it next year though!

The family slide show got started a little late, and the kids were tired so Sam and I were the only ones really enjoying it, so we had to cut it short to get kids into bed. Luckily Aunt Ginny volunteered to wrap presents because I was SO bushed by the end of the evening I would have just lumped all the gifts in the middle of the floor unwrapped….

The kids got varied gifts from Santa. Some of the favorites included yo-yos and rubber band guns. Eli promptly loaded his and shot Sam point blank in the cheek, so we immediately searched for all the goggles we could find in the house.

Isaac got his first shuffle on the recommendation of Aunt Channing, and I warned her that if he ended up a “good for nothing” with no job and no prospects of marriage in 15 years or so I’ll definitely be tracing the root cause to this gift in 2009.

Seth was so so cute when he gave Sam his gift, a mini globe with a pen and pen holder for his desk. He was really excited about it and as he handed it to Sam he squealed like a little pig and jumped up and down and clapped his hands. I tried to get him to do it again for the camera but he wouldn’t do it again…it is forever etched in my memory though.

Eli really wanted a “boy doll.” But he didn’t make this known until a few days before Christmas when everything was already purchased. I was nervous because Grace was getting a beautiful doll and thought maybe he would be crushed, but his favorite present so far has been the white t-shirts I gave to him as an afterthought. He really wanted those white t-shirts so badly! Eli has also really loved the hooded animal towels. He is “Super Bear Boy.”

Of course Grace has been cute with her doll that looks just like her! The hair color is perfect! After she unwrapped her doll she promptly brought her into the bathroom and washed her hair in the sink, with the pigtails still in!! She has been so cute, but hasn’t given up with her ugly doll that I was trying to replace….She’s loyal, I’ll give her that much! Grace played Mary in the church Nursery. The leaders said she was so possessive of the “baby Jesus” that she wouldn’t let anyone touch or look at the baby Jesus. She had a hard time putting it back into the toy basket at the end of the day.

Daniel has been our little angel. I’m going try to dress him up as the baby Jesus and take some pictures, because he’s our last little baby Jesus so we have to get it on film!! He got a stuffed horse for a present. It is twice his size and so cute with him laying on it.

Christmas day we were able to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa St.Clair. The kids loved their gifts and were so happy be with them. Sam and I aknowledge defeat in our ping pong doubles game with Larry and Rieta and we solomnly vow to wop up on you next time. We had monkey bread pull apart a couple times this holliday season. It seems as if it never touches your stomach after you swallow it because you can eat as many as 15 rolls and never feel full.

This evening we played Monopoly Junior with the kids. I think it was such a beautiful anniversary present to me to see the precious gifts that the Savior and Sam have given to me…my sweet ones all playing together and loving being with each other. I’ll treasure this holiday season forever.

Merry Christmas everyone, we love you and think of you all so often.

Bryn