Christmas

Here are a few pictures of our Christmas this year. Of course, it starts the night before with opening new pajamas.



The big surprise this year was for Brooklyn. She asked for her first ipod. With the other girls, they had to save up half the money and then I paid the other half. So Brooklyn decided to ask for money for Christmas. And that was the plan. Until I went online and found an incredible deal on a nano that also plays movies. So two weeks before Christmas I bought it and put one of her two favorite movies on it: "Elf." Then I schemed as to how to really surprise her. Christmas Eve it came to me. I asked Tessa what Brooklyn's least favorite dvd is that we own. She carefully looked through them and then grabbed "Little Lord Fauntleroy." It was perfect. I taped her ipod into it. The next morning it's the last gift under the tree. She obviously knows it's a dvd before she opens it. She rips it open. The next few moments are priceless. You can see on her face that she is trying desperately to not be rude.

She looks at it carefully, and with the slightest disappointment in her voice says, "We already have this one." To which I reply, "Oh....well, that's okay I guess, since you like it so much." I wish I could have had Kelle there to take the second by second pictures of her face. She was precious. Not wanting to hurt my feelings. I couldn't take it any longer and say, "Why don't you open it and make sure that's what's really in it." And here is the face that I'd been waiting for:

I love making memories like that! Then we sat around the table with Grandma Ena's homemade cinnamon rolls and a sweet sausage and egg dish that Brent made. (Egg's from the YikChick of course!) It was a great day. Relaxing, and full of laughter. And we ended it around the table again with Brent's roast beast. Roast lamb and a venison roast that had been in the crock pot since the night before.

We sat around the table long after our stomachs were full, just enjoying each other. Reminiscing about the past and dreaming about the future. Life is different as these amazing girls grow. I thought I would be really sad to have a Christmas without any "real" toys under the tree. But somehow life just keeps getting better and better.