Christmas 2013

I know I'm skipping a few months, I'll go back and post what I've missed. I just need to post this so I feel like I'm closer to family. For some reason it makes me feel like we're not so far away when I know my family is watching my kids go down the stairs and open their presents, even if they are watching the day after from the other side of the country.
Weston slept through the Christmas morning festivities. We all had a rough night on Christmas Eve, and it wasn't even because we were wide awake with anticipation for the following morning. Justin got pretty sick from work and it spread through our family. Donovan was up all night upset and not feeling well. So, oddly, nobody really slept that night except Weston. But that didn't stop us from having a great Christmas morning celebration! D felt better and better as the morning went on.
I am so grateful to have this little family! I'm so grateful that Justin was home to celebrate the birth of our Savior with the family!
I'm so grateful for all those who sent us gifts. We are rich with family, friends, and love. Thank you so much!

Merry Christmas!!!

Justin had to work the evening of Christmas Eve, so I did the Santa prep in a single-mom style. It was a bit chaotic, but we got it done. And the boys went to bed an hour later than normal, which ended up not making much of a difference since we were up all night with a sick Donovan anyway.

We made cookies for Santa, but the boys got to eat one of them.

I let him sprinkle from the tub. He got my attention by yelling "I wuv spwinkles!" And this is what was on his plate.

And poor Weston. This is what happens when I'm trying to get dinner on the table. I just wasn't quick enough to get him into bed.

Justin came home in time to help set up for the next morning. I'll let the rest of the pictures speak for themselves.

The scarf was from my mom & dad. The knives (yay!) from Santa.

Gift from my Mom & Dad.

And here are most of the presents. The Fatheads are pictures for the boys' room of figher jets and astronauts.

Sharing his new toys

I tried to get one of Weston with the tree after he woke up, but he was so wiggly, it was always blurry.

And I was playing around with my camera. I wish this one wasn't so overexposed, but isn't he so cute?!

He had a nice first Christmas!

I had planned a really nice breakfast and dinner for Christmas, but with how things turned out with everyone sick and sleep-deprived, we had cereal for breakfast and chinese take-out for dinner. But you know what? Everyone was just as happy as they would have been with the homemade goodies. My gingerbread and sugar cookies were so nice and soft when I made them. Then I put them into a tupperware overnight and they got REALLY soft and all stuck together, making them too ugly to give away to anyone. But it was a lesson learned and they still taste really good.
In the afternoon Mason wanted to watch a movie, and I suggested the cartoon about the birth of Jesus, just to remind us of the real meaning of Christmas. And then he said "Mom, I don't want to watch a church movie, I want to watch a Christmas movie!" [Sigh] I'm sure it's not the last time the true meaning of the holiday will be buried, we just have to make sure we keep uncovering it. We got out a wooden nativity set (we bought it last year in Hawaii), read Luke 2, and let the boys play with the figures while I read.

And that was our Christmas celebration this year.