It's Christmas Time!

 Here are a few of the highlights of our Holidays.  I can't believe how fast everything seemed to go this year.  I still have my tree up and plan on leaving it up until January 6, in honor of the Epiphany, or that is at least the story I am using to justify my procrastination.  Monica's mom always left their tree up until then, and I think she has a good thing going. Some years we make it that long some we don't.  I have a pretty tight schedule until Thursday, so I figure the Epiphany gets honored this year!

I made this quilt for my mom.

Olivia told Santa all about her big purple ball that popped and probably a few other things too!

Ethan also got to sit on Santa's lap

Carter tried really hard not to look embarrassed.  Inside the present is the book he got from the school book order.  He brought it home and them lost it. Good thing Santa found it to give back at JaDee's work party! That Santa is so smart!

Ward Christmas program with girls dressed as angels.  Ben and Katie might recognize Olivia's dress from the flower girl at their wedding!

On the way down the driveway to the ward Christmas party, Ethan tells me he needs a wise man costume.  I told him he was too late to tell me that now.  He would just have to be a wise man in regular clothes.  Of course there were extra costumes thus thwarting my efforts to teach my son a lesson.

Oh Christmas Tree! 

Oh Snow Machine!  Here we have our 3 new snow machines that we bought for a grand total of $750.  JaDee bought all of them in not running condition.  Then he and our good friend Brian got them running, touched up the paint, made a new windshield and hid them from our kids.  See Brian is the dad of 2 of Carter's good friends.  They were awesome keeping it up the charade that they were just a hobby of their own dad's and not Carter's Christmas present.  

Bleary eyed on Christmas morn.  Olivia got one of those pillow pets and no one got new Jammie's, in case those old Walk for Bridger weren't a dead give away.  I was going to make some, but ran out of time.

Olivia's big present this year was from Grandma.  She sent her the horse trailer/camper. She hasn't stopped playing with it!

This is my chandelier!  It replaced the old 1980s brass thing in our front entry.  We got it at Restoration Hardware.  Turns out JaDee loves to shop for light fixtures and I love this one.  It was all I got for Christmas....or was it?  I told you that Santa is a tricky fellow;)

Ski/Snowmachine goggles. Um Livs, they are upside down.

Oh I told you Santa was tricky.  I have had my eye on this bag from Ellington for several months.  When I found out that my favorite store in Eagle River started carrying their bags, I think Santa special ordered this for me. JaDee was even um, impressed with Santa's craftiness!

They even came with red bows!

Carter zooming around the circle.  I have to tell you how Aunt CaMee almost ruined Christmas.  See at 8 AM it is still pitch black so we were hoping to hold off of the snow machines until at least the sun came up.  Well, CaMee sent Carter a laser pointer and it was one of the first presents Carter opened.  He went running to the front door with it when I yelled, "Stop!  Wait! Don't go out there.  The neighbors!  Yeah, the neighbors might not like it in their window.  Go our back and uh, shine it in the trees! Yeah, that's it!"
As you can see that even at 9:30 it is still not overly bright out.  That is because we live in a valley and the mountains block that low Arctic sun from us for a few weeks each year.

Upcoming posts include our weekend on these little machines and even some video plus pictures of the new chandelier!  Bet you can't wait!