Christmas Wrap Up

We started off our first day of Chirstmas break with a day of crafting and baking.  I got out my big box of magical craft supplies and let the kids personalize their own stockings.  This is what they came up with...

Last year we started a tradition that I absolutely loved, so we decided to continue it this year.  We had the kids draw names to get each other a gift at the beginning of the month.  Then all month long they worked hard doing extra chores around the house to earn money for the gift.  When each kid had earned $5, Zac and I took them to Wal-Mart to shop for each other.  Then on the night of the 23rd, before all the chaos of Christmas began, we had our own family party.  We played games, watched a movie, ate snacks, and talked about the birth of Christ.  Then we let the kids open their gifts from each other.  It is the first gift they open of the season and the only gift they opened that night.  Our theory is they can see their sibling open the gift they have chosen for each other and really enjoy playing with that gift  for the night and hopefully they get to feel the joy of giving.

After we were done with opening the gifts, we opened the door and found to our surprise and delight that it had snowed!  It would be a white Christmas after all!  So spur of the moment we decided to have a family snowball fight.

It lasted until 10:30 pm and ended with hot cocoa.  It will be a memory I treasure in my heart forever.

Then we woke up and it was Christmas Eve.  I got up, I bathed kids, I made salads and goodies, and cookies for Santa.  Then it was time for me to run some last minute errands.  Because of that magical snow from last night, the roads just happened to be extra slick, and I unfortunately ran my van into a ditch.  Unfortunately, as I tried to come back up out of the ditch, I hit pavement in a bad way and the driver's side wheel on my van snapped off and caused some terrible damage.  2-hours, a cop, a tow truck, and some tears later, my van was at an auto body shop, where I am now told it will cost $3,000 to fix!!!  Needless to say, I didn't get a lot of pictures of Christmas Eve, but I am counting my blessings that I am alive and whole and that the kids weren't with me.  I am also grateful for a wonderful husband who is always there with love and support and a shoulder to cry on and absolutely no judgement in his eyes.

Ashlyn's biggest surprise was a kitten.  She was speechless.  It was the one of the most joyful moments of my Christmas, watching this girl react to her present.  Click HERE to watch Ashlyn freak out when she finds her cat.

Ian's new racetrack

Charlotte was stoked to find the ballerina barbie that she asked for, but then looked around and said, "Where's my parachute?  Did Santa forget my parachute?"  Yes, she had asked for a parachute, and no, she didn't get one... maybe we should lay off the Go, Diego, Go! for awhile?

Tanner's favorite present, a hermit crab!

Bronson was in button heaven with all the booty that Santa brought him.

Ian digging out some dinosaur bones 

Poor Daddy was pretty tuckered out after such a late and stressful Christmas Eve and a very early Christmas morning.  Good thing we got lots of comfy blankies from our wonderful family to snuggle up in!

Picture of Mittens the Kitten by Ashlyn

Pictures of Shy the crab by Tanner

Playing with our new Christmas gifts...

Ian is taking full advantage of our display case to show off his newest creations.

Even with the van disaster, we certainly had a wonderful Christmas filled with wonder and magic as we witnessed it through our children's eyes.  Oh, how I wish we could keep them this young forever.  My family is truly the best gift a girl could ever ask for... though the ant farm that Zac and the kids got me is a pretty close second.