Christmas 2015

We focused on Christmas each Monday night for FHE during December.  As part of our first lesson we had everyone list what they liked about Christmas.  Here is that list (in order):  That it is Jesus' birthday, giving gifts, stockings, the Nativity we act out, the decorations, the star on the Christmas tree, the Nativity set on the mantle, the lights, decorating the tree, being with family, yummy food, gingerbread houses, Santa's sleigh, Christmas Eve PJ's, cars in the stockings and treats.

I fully expected to have them talk about the gifts they receive, but my heart did a couple of little flips when that was not their main focus.  I love these boys and love that many things on their list had to do with things we do together each year as a family.  They love to be a part of the decorating, the lights, making gingerbread houses, acting out the nativity and giving gifts.  And most of all, I love that the first thing mentioned was that Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

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I loved reading Luke's letter to Santa that he wrote at school and then gets published in the town paper.

It reads, "Dear Santa, What I want for Christmas is some books, a transformer for my brother Caden, regular cars for Ryland, a game and a movie for Porter.  My mom gave ornaments to my aunts and uncles.  Love, Luke.  P.S. How is Rudolph?"

I love that in his letter to Santa, he thought to include each of his brothers.  Such a sweet kid, this one. 

We invited several friends over in December to make gingerbread houses.

It was a success.

Christmas break started off great with Porter's 4K Holiday Concert.

Christmas Eve brought our traditional dinner out.  We ate at the Olive Garden, one of the few restaurants we can all eat at (with the allergies and health issues we've got).

Christmas Eve jammies.

Then the traditional acting out of the Nativity.

The shepherds.

Two of the wise men.

Baby Jesus got a lot of lovin' this year.  Maybe because it was an actual doll and not a stuffed animal!

Ry didn't want to let him go.

Christmas morning.

Checking out what Santa left in the stockings.

Opening Santa's gift.  These boys love their Legos. 

We do things a little different at our house on Christmas morning.  We let the kids immediately dive into their stockings, followed by opening up Santa's gift.  Then we take a short break and eat breakfast (which usually includes cereal from the stocking, and let's face it, some candy too) and the kids play with their stocking toys.  This break usually includes me finishing getting ready for the day!  Then we are back at it, beginning with the family Christmas tree picture.

Dad then sits by the tree and hands the gifts into eager hands to take them to the family room (where it is more comfy) and the kids put them in piles for each family member.  The kids love this part.

I snapped a couple of pictures of each child opening a gift or two then put the camera away and enjoyed these cuties.

Ryland

Porter

Caden

Luke

Loving my Cuisinart Griddler.  We use it all the time!

David is as happy as a clam with his iWatch.

Loved the stock pile of gifts under the tree that David and I got from the kids.

The boys are looking forward to going camping this year with these lovelies!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa A.!!

Christmas day and many days to follow, we always knew where to find Ryland...in the basement playing with his train.

 Our boys have been Star Wars deprived.  We owned the original 3 Star Wars movies, but on VHS, which didn't do us much good without a VHS player.  Santa was kind enough to replace those with DVD's this year.  We spent 3 days watching the movies with the 3 oldest boys.  We watched them during Ryland's nap.  While Ryland was so disappointed not to be included, it seems his brothers have filled him in and he knows the names of everyone, who is good and bad, and can even hum the Darth Vader theme song.

The boys only had a week and a half off for their Christmas break this year, but at least they enjoyed every minute of it.  They made the front room their Lego building spot.

We had some Twister fun!

Some hanging out at home fun.

Some family bowling fun.

And some snow fun.

We were really hoping for a white Christmas this year, but it was a no go.  We did get hit 3 days later.

After this storm, I found myself completely content with the snow amounts and would have been fine with no more!

More snow has come, but overall this winter has been kind to us.  Not heavy on the snow and warmer than is the norm.  Can't complain.

We chose not to buy a snow blower when we moved here, mostly because we thought it would be good for our boys to learn a little about the art of work.  After the first winter here, I found myself regretting that decision as it was difficult to keep up with the snow and the boys were more into playing than shoveling.  The second winter was lighter on the snow than the first, but I still wondered if we should have made the plunge and bought a snow blower.

This year, something happened and our boys turned into little work horses!  It has been SO great!!  We have also had a lighter year of snow, but when it has come these boys have stepped up and worked their little hearts out.  I have found I have a love/hate relationship with the snow plows.  They do an amazing job of clearing our streets.  They have it down.  But...when they come through the neighborhood they leave this mountain (literally a mountain) of snow at the end of our driveway.  It is usually packed down, wet and heavy.  I despise shoveling ourselves out of it.  I find myself grumbling when I hear those plows!  There is no getting out of the driveway until it is shoveled.  David will typically get a wheelbarrow out and haul it that way, and honestly, I leave it to him whenever I can.  When I need to clear the driveway so David and can pull into the drive after work or so I can get out if I have somewhere to go, I do it bit by heavy bit and it takes forever and is backbreaking!  This year something has happened to the little muscles of our boys because they hang out with me for the long haul until the snow is cleared, even helping with the mountain left by the plows (and they can pull their own weight!).

Didn't even know Ryland knew what a snow angel was until he marched himself out into the snow and made one.

A little front yard sledding.