christmas, part 3: merry christmas

I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas season and today did not disappoint!

In anticipation of this day, we've:

Untangled lights.


Had our annual watching of Elf and A Christmas Story.

Slept under the Christmas tree.


Baked many cookies. And ate just as many.

Read Luke 2 and some assorted Matthew and 3 Nephi chapters, and found homes for our nativities.




Visited not one, not two, but three Santas.

Carefully selected and purchased gifts, and sniped many things from eBay. The faces of my boys on Christmas day have not disappointed. I love them both dearly.

Driven around many neighborhoods (in the rain, as we do every year) to look at awesome Christmas lights.

Listened to Mannheim Steamroller. But had the Britney Spears song stuck in my head mostly (what is that song about anyway?)

And so, here we are. Christmas.

I think Wesley knew it was Christmas because he didn't go to sleep until midnight last night. Sigh. Maybe it had something to do with the fact we gave him one of Santa's cookies.

(our haul -- not bad!)

(Santa's nice work -- it took Santa at least an hour to get it all to work out. Gee.)

Luckily Wesley slept in until 9 am, and we've been nonstop since. (Although I did manage to get a nap with the cat at one point.)

He loves loves loves his trains. In fact, we have 10 unopened presents under the tree (mostly clothes, some toys!) that he hasn't even opened because we can't get him to focus. That is a good problem to have. (Better than him tossing aside all his presents because he doesn't care.) I guess Christmas will last for a couple more days.


Shane spent several hours this morning making a HUGE track on the floor with almost all our pieces. Very cool. I'm glad he gets to engineer with our son :-)


This is my handiwork -- a Christmas tree of cinnamon rolls!!


The cats liked their gifts, too...


Shane's stocking had hockey tickets and an introductory flying lesson; my big gift was a new digital camera (yay!). Wesley got matchbox cars and a monster truck and a Boeing airplane (which makes a lot of noise) and plenty of trains -- chocolate trains, train bath squirters, and of course his wooden train set.

We ate a big dinner and are waiting for the homemade apple pie to finish cooking. Remember calories don't count today. Ha!

Also, I am still in my pajamas. I was trying to feel less icky so I brushed my teeth. I love days like this. We're all together as a family and warm and happy and full and grateful.

Merry Christmas!