Christmas

I just love Christmas. I always say my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving but Christmas is right up there. I love how my kids get so excited for it and so do I. In fact in the morning I was trying to get Jack to wake up at 6:30 when he wasn't waking up. He came into my room around 1:30 wanting Christmas to happen then and I said no so he slept on the floor next to my bed. Around 6:15 I woke up and he wasn't awake so I kept poking him until he woke up. Finally he did I was so excited for my kids to see if Santa had come. I try to explain what Christmas is about but all Kate says is "it's about fun." And it is it is fun to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, it is fun to hang out with family, and it is fun to see my children's reaction on Christmas morning.

Here are the pictures from Christmas and Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve we went to the Temple to look at the nativities. The Temple has nativities from around the world and if you go during the day you can actually see them. I think the nativities are so neat and love walking around the Temple without the crowds of people the Temple lights bring.

Ryan, Kate, Rolana, Rhett, Dyan, Jack, Jay and Rachelle

 Christmas Eve night we went to the Ricedorff's to eat, open presents and to do the nativity. Her are the pretty angels, Mary, and baby Jesus. Tessa, Kate, Shelley, and Callie

 The shepard  Jack.

 The wise men Jay and Kaden with the sheep, Zoey the dog.

 My kids in their new Christmas pj's. I let them open the present in the morning Christmas Eve. I was excited to let them open gifts. Jay, Kate and Jack. I did have a picture of Jack not making this face but his real smile is worse than his silly smile.

 Christmas morning. Santa brought Kate a new princess bike. That is all she asked for and was so excited to get it. Now we just need to get her riding more.

 Jack showing off the new Xbox Kinect. Santa broke down and got a gaming system for the family. I don't like gaming systems but since our summers are so incredibly hot and I was tired of the kids sitting and watching TV all day we let Santa bring the Kinect in hopes of getting our children to move more in the summer.

 Jay with the Kinect. The boys were so excited to get one. I think we were the last people on the earth who didn't have some sort of gaming system. And it has been fun playing the games. Wipe Out cracks me up and watching Jeremy dance to Lollipop was priceless.

 All ready for church. Jack, Jay and Kate they are so cute and I loved going to church on Christmas day. It really set the spirit. Although I think my favorite is when Christmas Eve is on Sunday. But either way it was a great sacrament meeting.

 Christmas night takes us to my parents. It is complete chaos but I love it. My dad reads Luke 2 and the kids all get to play with their cousins. Then the adults do a white elephant gift exchange and we laugh and eat and talk. It is a perfect way to end Christmas.