Our Christmas Festivities started right after Thanksgiving, when we put up our Christmas tree and decorations. Paul put our little tree together, then I put on the Christmas lights. Parker and Autumn finished it off by putting on the ornaments. It was fun to be working together to the sounds of Christmas music.
Parker made his first ornament at preschool. He was excited to put it on the tree.
Parker and Autumn started asking us every day if today was Christmas, so we made a Christmas Chain Countdown. Here it is hanging above the window. A couple weeks before Christmas, we made Christmas treats and delivered them to our neighbors. I wish I knew how to sing so that we could have caroled. (Maybe I will just type out the words to our favorite Christmas songs and put them with our treats next year and consider it caroling.)
A few weeks before Christmas, I helped Parker and Autumn write Letters to Santa.
Paul and I have been married for 6 years and this was our first Christmas by ourselves. It was fun to make plans and build on traditions from both of our families. On Christmas Eve, we went to see the lights st Temple Square. My brother, Mark and his family, met us up there. The lights were amazing, but it was freezing cold!
We got up there later than planned and so were headed home later than planned. I was disappointed when Parker fell asleep in the car. But we picked up some In 'N' Out for dinner and headed home. Fortunately, Parker woke up in the move from the car to his bed (which never happens, usually you can't wake him up if you try). So, after eating our food, we had a Pajama Scavenger Hunt. Since the kids aren't old enough to read, it was a clean up scavenger hunt. I gave them an item and when they put it away, they found something else there that was out of place. Their final destination was there beds, where they found their new PJ's. They loved them.
After the pajama hunt, we watched the Nativity video and talked about the importance of the birth of the Savior for a few minutes, before the kids headed off to bed. That is when the fun began for Paul and I. I got all of the presents out and set up my wrapping station, while Paul started the Wassail and then headed off to Kim's house to pick up our big presents for the kids (and secretly wrap the gifts he got for me). While he was gone I advanced the wassail and finished wrapping all of the presents. He got back just in time for both of us to set up the gifts and stockings, try some wassail and head off to bed.
On Christmas Morning, we both popped out of bed the second we heard stirring in the kids' room. We corralled them at the top of the stairs until Paul got set up with the video camera. The kids were excited and sleepy. Parker's favorite gift was his Toy Story set and Autumn was probably most excited about the candy! Parker and Autumn opened their gifts and Paul and I took turns here and there. Parker and Autumn were also more than happy to help open Lincoln's presents. After gift opening, we enjoyed wassail and cinnamon rolls (from Shirley's). The kids enjoyed their new toys the rest of the morning, while we got ready for Christmas Dinner/Lunch.
Three of my siblings and I gathered at Andrew and Trena's with our families to have Christmas dinner. We played "The Great Dalmuti," watched the Celtics game and ate. It was fun to be together with family and have fun.
