Christmas Morning started bright and early for us, like 2:3o in the morning early!!! I barely closed my eyes and I heard the hoots and hollers from my living room and I couldn't believe it. "Oh well," I told myself. I sucked it up, walked into the living room, pretended to be surprised, and enjoyed my kids reaction of pure excitement.

 Santa worked really hard getting the girl's new art room ready!

Craft station

This closet door was painted with chalk board paint. Alyia immediately drew a replica of her barbie doll house.

Paint Station- Equipped with paint, paint brushes, and painter aprons.

3 in 1 easel- chalk board, white board, and a roll of paper for painting

 Christmas morning the girls were so excited about their new art room that they couldn't resist and got right to work! Of course after they took a long nap because they woke up so darn early:)

 

Alyia's first art work in her new art room

Jordyn loved the large chalk board

The girls loved painting

Lincoln loved the trucks and cars he got from Santa

Teni loved his football gloves

Teni especially loved getting play station controllers and the new Madden 25 game. All the boys enjoyed this specific gift from Santa, they played Madden 25 all day and night.

Tai was stoked when he got Soul by Ludacris headphones. The volume of his IPod barely needs to be half way up for everything else to be tuned out. No wonder teenagers love these things, it tunes out their parents lol

The kids didn't stay awake long after they saw their gifts...could it have been because they woke up so darn early? They took a long nap and woke up in time for a yummy Christmas brunch.

We love Santa and can't wait for his next visit to our home!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve Traditions

 Christmas Eve was full of our yearly Christmas traditions. This Christmas Eve, I had a couple of my sisters and their family come over. Sherman, a good family friend also joined us for Christmas.

 Just some of our "Night Before Christmas" traditions

Troy and I gave our kids Christmas Eve boxes, a cute idea I saw on pinterest. The boxes not only had their pj's in it but it also had a Christmas book, hot chocolate mug(later used for our hot chocolate bar), and popcorn and candy(for their late night movie). It was a big hit with the kiddos!!!

Lincoln with his Christmas Eve boxes

Every year for our Christmas Eve dinner, I bust out my nicest dinnerware. A china set my Mom gave me finally sees the light of day...but only for that day, and then it goes back into my cabinets until the next year. My kids feel extra special and immediately gain an English accent and proper table manners. It's really cute to see their reaction to all the fanciness.

We decided to make Chinese food this year and it was DELISH! We had ham fried rice, chow mien, egg rolls, sweet and sour pork, and beef and broccoli.

Our kiddos in their Christmas pj's

After dinner and presents, the kids used their hot chocolate mugs they got in their Christmas Eve boxes for the hot chocolate bar. These are just some of the treats they enjoyed with their hot chocolate.

We ended the night with a Christmas movie (Arthur Christmas), pouring reindeer food on our front steps, setting out chocolate chip cookies and milk for Santa, reading the story of our Savior's birth, and then all the kids sleep in one room together.

Our day was full but definitely memorable!

Christmas Sunday

Christmas Sunday my kids are dressed in their finest. It takes me a bit of time and a few shopping trips to find the perfect outfit for this special day, but in the end, my kids look adorable!

Merry Christmas!

Santa photo 2013