Christmas Morning

So belated, but at least it's posted, right?

I took lots of videos this Christmas.  The kids were just so much fun, and I knew pictures wouldn't turn out as cute with the dim light of early morning.

We give three gifts to the kids at Christmas.  This year, it was scripture readers, "soft" bat & ball sets (clearance, $3ea!), and footie-pjs for H ($6-7?  She's been begging for them since she outgrew hers in the summer; she just has to match Lil'S!) and a riding toy for Lil'S.  (Target had firetruck ones for $15.)  He loves riding toys and plays with it nearly every day.

We limit Santa gifts to a stocking--they are big stockings--but I must admit they were a little empty this year, not that the kids noticed!  The main gift in H's was a pair of slippers ($5) she'd been begging for on cold mornings, and Lil'S got a doll of his own ($4ish!).  At bedtime, he makes sure we put the doll's hat on and wrap it up in its blanket.  Lil'S is going to be a good big brother & a fantastic Daddy!  They also got their traditional toothbrushes & toothpastes, candy, and some Hotwheels cars (69¢ ea).  There may've been other things too, for those of you who think we deprive our kids.  ;)  (We're going for quality, not quantity!)  It's just a month later and now I can't remember!

Can you tell I'm thrilled about how little we pulled off spending on things? :)  I tend to overspend during the year, so it's nice to actually have success keeping some spending under control!

I purposely went with a larger size.  (And it helped that they were oversized anyway.)  I was NOT going to have her crying about outgrowing her footie pjs for six months before Christmas this time around!

H was totally into gift giving this year. Here are some of the many things she gave us. 

for Mommy
(minus the scriptures)

for Daddy

for Sammy

Pillow pet from G&G S

sleeping bag for Lil'S & a dress for H
thx, G&G C!!!

traditional pjs for S & I

Thanks, M&D C & M&D S!

Florence's Chocolates!  Thanks, G&G C!

(They're for us grown-ups!)

Thanks, G&G S!

We  gave in and allowed Lil'S to open his other car without having to wait for sister to open her next gift. :)

Thanks, I, J,  & W!!!

Pop beads for H

Thanks again, I & J & W!

Apparently, it was a fireman-themed Christmas for Lil'S!

H's smile here was too ecstatic to not post. 

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!! 

Thanks, Tina & Stephan!

Cute toy for Baby Brother

Checking out the hour glass toy that came in one of the Kindereggs

We asked H to choose one last candy for the night. Of course, she pointed at the stack of chocolate bars. Here she and Papa are discussing the various yummy choices!

Merry Christmas!

We spent Christmas at home, so we decided to make a video of the pictures we took that morning for our far-away families to see.

Snow 2

Oh, how this made my Christmas!!

Sure, it may have been raining Christmas Day, but the fact that this bit of snow hung around for a few days beforehand kept me filled with Christmas cheer! (This is our last tree to change colors, and it's probably been the prettiest as well.)

O Christmas Tree

We told H she could put one ornament on the tree before bed, but we weren't very quick to correct her when she decided she was going to put the rest of them on as well. (Ornaments that weren't shiny globes, that is.)

This was probably the happiest we've seen her all day!

See?
H most of today.

We would have completely decorated the tree today, but we found that only one string of lights that I'd gotten from a moving neighbor actually worked. Sad!

Click on this one to see her shirt. :)
I think it's the best!

What's up with the red-eye?
Even Picasa isn't removing it.
???

Silly, sleepy girl

Put'n on the bow

Whoa! Lost we lost it!
(Oh, look! Our camera has an "indoor" setting!)

Little help from Daddy

Ta-da!

Just one more. . . .

Done for now