Heather's Highlight's!: Christmas....

This year was the FIRST, yes that is right, the very FIRST year we had Christmas all by our very lonesome. We didn't go anywhere and we didn't have anyone coming to our house. A few weeks before Christmas Steve was most concerned and didn't want us to be lonely, so he almost convinced me to drive to Idaho - ALMOST!

Despite the fact that we were all alone, we had a wonderful vacation and we did some fun things with the kids! I enjoyed spending time with my little family and love them so much! One of the funniest things was when Steve decided that we absolutely had to move the Christmas Tree from upstairs down to the family room. This required moving the piano over as well. I was not pleased with this idea, but I knew putting up a fight was not worth it. He took my tree apart by section, leaving it deocrated and brought it downstairs section by section. It was actually very nice to have it in here and next year I will probably put it back in the same spot.

Christmas Eve we did a whole lot of relaxing and baking. I made peppermint bark, shortbread cookies and spiced peacans. Yummy, those are my favorites! We decided to try to make Steve's Grandma's ribs for dinner - as his family did growing up. That with some funeral potatoes and some other yummy's made for a wonderful dinner!

After dinner, we dropped some goodies off to our neighbor and drove around looking at some Christmas lights. We did miss the great lights we used to go see in Fresno, but the kids still enjoyed it and Noah thought it was fun. Once we were home, we watch some of the movie Joy to the World, we read our traditional story called, 'Teach the Children' and the kids opened their Christmas PJ's. Noah thought opening one gift meant open season on everything else under the tree and was a little diappointed when he had to wait!

As always Christmas morning came very quickly. Because of the layout of our house, we told the kids that they could call me on my cell phone from the home phone, but under no circumstances could they come downstairs to our room. I am happy to say, I have very or should I say mostly obedient kids and they did just that. The rule is they must brush their teeth and make their beds before we can open presents. They were spilling over with excitement and although I tried to stall we finally allowed them down to see what Santa brought! Noah was cute and really trying to figure it all out.

Noah with his new basketball, it was what he wanted most and he
has shown it to everyone he can.

Brook with her stash, she got a CD player/karaokee machine

Ty got some mini basketball hoops we mounted in the game room.

Tater got a lighsaber light that he got to assemble himself with My help!

Our morning was wonderful and we finished it off with some Scotch Stew (Yummy!) and this year I tried Ebelskeevers - they turned out pretty good too! After all was winding down, we got ready and headed to church! I had to get a photo of my childrens in front of the tree all dressed up and man did they look good!