Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!
We had a fun, family filled and simple day.
Looks like someone visited during the night... we love this tradition of secret giving and sharing.
The stockings were filled...
Even to setting up breakfast for the family. It makes things really easy in the morning!
Juliana found a giant fluffy giraffe under the tree with her name on it.
Ginny found it, too.
First fun present of the morning!
Lego/Duplos are always good for all ages.
A new friend.
Art projects of the future...
Hmm...
Emilie has new friends, too!
Benjamin laughing at someone...
Tolkien anything is good, right? (this is an atlas, really cool.)
Magnets...
A Coloring book from cousins!
Zebra friend, named Stripe!
And a big dinosaur from a cousin secret Santa!
For some strange reason, Michael got a lot of ties... hmmm. (and a cool BYU shirt!)
Drawing stuff and more yarn for Emilie!
Emilie? (these pens are great... her cousins know her!)
An element of danger here... hide!
Always humor in Dad gifts... cookie cutters that look like they've already been eaten!
Nathanael's favorite gift...a Book of Mormon in Greek.
I loved seeing the joy in my children's eyes as their siblings opened gifts especially chosen by them, usually worked for and sacrificed for, and sometimes just thoughtfully found.
I loved the interest in each other and their likes and dislikes. I loved that their cousin gift exchanges went well and they wanted to know how their far away cousins felt about the presents they had found.
We are blessed, no more on Christmas than any other day but I think we had time to sit back and think about it this day. This is the last Christmas we all will be together for quite some time, and Tom and I may have been more mindful of this than the kids, but as we watched Michael enjoy this last Christmas at home, we definitely thought about it.
Next year, a few minutes skyping with a missionary may be the best present of all. Remembered as we talked about it with the Elders over dinner tonight.
Merry, merry Christmas everyone. We love you.
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