T'was the Season

2012 included Christmas again. Isn't it great, the way it comes every year? Despite having the longest time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I never felt like we got on top of things. Thank goodness for Amazon Prime and 2 day shipping! Also, thank goodness for kids who really remember and embrace the traditions we've established!

Decorating the tree the first weekend of December. We rocked out to the Muppets/John Denver Christmas album and let the kids pile on all the ornaments. I mostly sat on the couch and put ornament hooks onto plastic balls :) Tyler got to do the hard work (as usual) or stringing on the lights and making sure no one impaled anyone else with said ornament hooks.

 Amelia loved the Santa hats. She kept rediscovering them.

 I think this is how Tyler felt after a LONG day of holiday shopping :)

 Henry and Jack got the chance to visit with St. Nick. Sheridan does NOT like Santa. She wouldn't even go into the room where Santa was located. At 11 months, Sheridan discovered Santa for the first time...and she immediately decided she detested him. In that time, she's only sat on his lap ONCE (last Christmas, he visited our house and she was willing to give him a chance...but it didn't stick, apparently!).

 Jack talked Santa's ear off. "And chapter, books, Santa, the LONG kind. That's what I really want!" (no joke)

 The kids had their "Sing Around" at school. 10 points if you can spy Jack (you lose! it's actually Sheridan in this picture. Haha!).

Christmas Eve dawned snowy. It was wonderful, the second real snowfall of the year. It left a couple of inches (oh how we cheered! Little did we know that was the last we'd see of the ground for a month...). We had our family Christmas Eve dinner with our dear friend, Colleen, this year. It was so fun to have her (Amelia really latched onto her and thought Colleen had just come as HER friend!).

The three oldest kids were very serious all night. No laughing!

They acted out the nativity for us and we were able to sing carols through the story. It's one of our favorite Christmas traditions. Which is, I'm sure, why I forgot to take any pictures of it. :)

Yay! We love Christmas morning! Once things got going, there wasn't a lot of time (or camera battery) for picture taking!

The magic of discovering stocking goodness!

Amelia figuring out how the whole "Christmas morning" thing goes...

After a nice, relaxing morning with yummy breakfast and lots of playing, we headed up to Sandy to visit the rest of the family. Grammy and Pop were in town and staying with Tyler's sister and fam. We got spoiled some more (and I got my long longed-for wheat grinder!!! Talk about the most unexpected and yet appreciated gift ever!) and had a DELICIOUS dinner.

Amelia cozied up to Grammy and completely charmed her (as she tends to charm anyone within reach of her sunny smile). She was able to mooch some whipping cream and pie, no prob.

Grandpa and Grandma Diane were there, too! For living so close, we don't get to see these families nearly often enough, so we really appreciate and enjoy the chances we have to spend time together.

 More family!!! Yay!!

Although it was belated due to my sloth-like energy levels, Grammy made sure the kids got to build candy houses!

 The kids had an exceptionally boring time and hated every second of the sugar high :)

I don't think Henry's even had sugar yet, this is just him acting natural. Hee hee.
Christmas was wonderful, but I honestly gained a huge appreciation for what Mary went through for the first Christmas. I was snug in my own home, only having to waddle out to the van in order to get anywhere. When I felt too lousy, I could take a nap. She had to take a donkey, probably with contractions. And she didn't have Amazon Prime to take care of her nesting. :) Seriously, though, what a blessing it was to celebrate the birth of our Savior with family. We are blessed to have so much, but most especially blessed to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to go through life together.