Chrsitmas Day!

Christmas was a little small at our house this year becuase the cruise we went on was our Christmas. The kids did each get a couple of things, and I was so proud of them becuase they were very happy with the gifts they got and even said that they got more than they expected. They still say that they would choose a cruise over Christmas anytime. I have to agree.

They were still SO excited for Santa to come and Coren was just beside himself with joy. It was so cute. I wish they could stay little forever!

On Christmas Eve we took them all shopping and let them get gifts for each other. They searched high and low and made sure that they got the best things that they could, and then they wrapped them up themselves. It is good to see that they love to give almost more than receive!

From *

They came out to find that Santa had come. They were so excited. They each got the one gift they wanted, they were so happy!
ma

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

After we opened presents we went to Little America for brunch with Grandpa Johns. I forgot my camera! Woops! But it was SO good. The kids had a hard time leaving their presents so soon, so next year we will either not be able to go, or have to get up earlier or something. I need to find a way to make it work cause that breakfast is amazing. I can't miss it! I guess I could go alone. ;)
Then Ann and Danelle came over and hung out with us followed by Grandpa and Grandma for a quick test war.

From *

From *

From *

After that we just took it easy and played with the new toys! It was a wonderful Christmas!

From *

Christmas Eve

We had such a fun Chrsitmas Eve night. My family (minus Zak) came over for dinner and presents. As usual I made Prime Rib and it was so dang good. Better than ever!

From *

From *

The kids could barely make it through dinner becuase they were so excited to open presents. You would have thought it was Chrsitmas already. Finally the time came, and I have to say, I think my Dad was even more excited than the kids. Last summer when we were up at Lava, we decided that it would be so fun to get all of the kids air soft guns so that they could have a war. Well he went out and got them all really sweet guns, and I have to say that the wars are going to be pretty realistic!

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

On the twelth day of Christmas

On the eleventh day of Chrismtas my true love gave to me...
A bunch of wild monsters fighting happily!

Crazy boys playing wildly!

Carson singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in Chineese.

Boys showing me the yummy treats we made!

Taking a break...

Had to step away from the twelve days deal to say...
WHAT THE CRAP?
I need help understanding this. Maybe I am just a little too slow, just like people have been telling me my whole life, too slow to grasp this concept. So please help!
Isn't CHRISTmas a celebration of the birth of CHRIST?
CHRIST was real, right? I mean whether you choose to believe his teachings, he was a real person. He walked and talked and for those the believe, taught us, and died for us.
SANTA is a fraud. I mean he is real, if you believe, but he is me and he is you. He is defiantly worth believing in, but we do not celebrate him, right? He is kind of an economy booster, and something exciting to HELP us remember the GIFT that CHRIST was to us. RIGHT?
So why then... WHY?... do I hear people telling their kids that SANTA is real and to believe in SANTA but that there is NOT a GOD and NOT a CHRIST? Are they dumb or am I?
I would never teach my kids to believe in someone that is NOT real. One day they are going to figure it out, like they always do. Then the excitement is over. You misled them, and life goes on.
But what about CHRIST? Teaching your kids not to believe in someone that was real. Again, I get that everyone does not believe that he was sent from God and all that, but no-one can dispute that he was a real person, right? Or can they and I am just missing the boat, again!?! The could at least MENTION that we celebrate CHRISTmas because of a man named CHRIST and give a brief explanation of who he was. RIGHT? You don't have to worship him to mention him and the history behind him.
So you teach your kids not to believe in GOD and CHRIST and then what? They worship Santa? They worship black Friday?
The other week I was teaching my Primary Class and I asked all the kids what they wanted for Christmas. The lists were LONG!! Then one girl just said, "I just want a picture of Jesus. That's all." I kind of laughed and thought to myself that her parents had done a great job with her, but then it hit me... the rest of the kids didn't really associate CHRIST with Christmas. Mine included... me included...
It's sad really. I keep thinking about this whole Christmas thing and the whole Christmas concept. It is kind of bugging me. Target and WalMart are happy, but I am bugged, and I wonder if CHRIST is bugged.
I am not a religious person per say, but I am so bugged at the people we are becoming. I am ALL about gifts, BRING ON THE GIFTS, it is so much fun, but I think we are missing the point. REALLY missing it. By a long shot. I wish that my CHRISTmas list had a picture of CHRIST on it, and if it didn't that I would call it a SHOPmas list instead. Because without CHRIST in CHRISTMAS it is basically just that SHOPmas SHOP(alot)<--- mas = alot in espanol!

On the eleventh day of Christmas

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Great test results!
The Doctor called this morning and my Mom's liver has improved GREATLY. Merry Christmas to her and Merry Christmas to us!

On the tenth day of Chrstimas

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

From *

A bag of goodies. Coren got this together all by himself and left it on my nightstand for me. It had granola bars, gum, fruit leathers, and a little note that said, "To Mom From Coren" and it made my day. What a cute little guy he is. I cannot believe how thoughful he is.

It is little things like this that make me NEVER want my kids to grow up!

Slotboom Party

This year we had our annual Slotboom party at my house. The food was YUM and the BINGO game was a hit as always.

From *

From *

On the nineth day of Christmas

On the nineth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

From *

From *

Tough guy let me yang so hard on that thing. It literally took all of my strength to get it out. He just took it like a champ. Then it just came out. He is five bucks richer, and looks so different.

On the eighth day of Christmas.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Coren feeding Lucy! SO CUTE!

From *

On the seventh day of Christmas...

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me... a new family tradition.

We needed a new tradition, and this one just kind of happened. I feel in LOVE with these snowflakes and just had to make some. The kids each wanted to make some for their rooms. While we were making them we had a great idea!

From *

We decided that each year the kids would make two new snowflakes to hang in their room for the Holidays. Soon their rooms will have many snowflakes and it will be so much fun! They want to do it with their kids (once they have them) so hopefully we can stick with it!

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

On the sixth day of Christmas

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me... a great way to punish Makenna. So yes, she IS twelve! But nothing works, well until now that is. She is now offically improving her behavior thanks to this amazing form of torture! Truly a GIFT!

From *

For the record we have never made our kids stick their nose in the wall. I guess it is never too late to start!

On the fifth day of Christmas

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me... a very sick boy, puking non-stop, and somehow managing to not get a drop of it anywhere, until I moved him into my bed!! How do these things happen? So random, so EVERYWHERE! And on the down comforter? Why?

From *

Then he just lays down and goes back to his show. Classic. I do have to say he was so sick by the end of the day that he was asleep puking and I was just holding his limp body over a bowl. It was the sadest thing ever! SO I forgive him.

On the fourth day of Christmas...

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me... two studly basketball players.

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

From *

On the third day of Christmas

On the third day of Christmas my true nasty love gave to me...

From *

A hairball removed from the bathroom sink. Don't worry I washed the toothbrush really good before I used it again. KIDDING! The glob went straight to the garbage, toothbrush and all. I have to admit, I just threw up a little in my mouth looking at that picture! SICK!