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| Christmas Jammies 2013 - I'm pretty proud I whipped these babies up within a few hours for all four of us. |
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| Christmas Jammies 2011 - the beginning of the Jammies |
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| Christmas Jammies 2012 - Ruby was about to pop! |
We were really excited for Christmas this year with Ross. Steve set out early getting him excited about Santa and Christmas regularly reading Christmas books with him. Ross decided we would wish for a blue airplane for Christmas - oh how I love my sweet children. I want them to love simple things their whole lives.
We got back super late from Steve's family Christmas Eve party and the kids crashed in the car and transferred fairly simply to bed. I still had family gifts to put together which took WAY longer than I anticipated. Oh well. They all turned out thank goodness. :)
Ross woke up sad until he saw the Christmas tree, presents, his stocking, and us telling him Santa visited and he should open them. His attitude changed dramatically after that. Watching him open his stocking was priceless. He got more and more excited sticking his arm in finding something else that was in there.
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| Emptying the stocking - Ross had a ball! |
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| Ross the poser - Ruby's still trying to figure out what's going on. |
He got a blue airplane (Skipper from the movie Planes) from Santa Claus and we gave him some train additions for his wooden train set, and some play tools. Ruby got a baby doll from Santa (I was so excited for that!), and a pink
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| Ross super excited about the blue airplane Santa got him. |
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| Ruby enjoying her chew toy. |
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| Steve's stash. |
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| Ross had to put his presents up on the table so "Rubes can't get them" - he's quite pleased. |
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| Breakfast - that's how we roll on Christmas. |
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| Ruby figuring out her whole baby doll thing. ;) |
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| Of course these kids prefer to play in the boxes... |
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| Ross wanted a turn - Ruby wasn't done yet. |
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| This plane was glued to his hand most of the day. |
Steve got a new set of scriptures (the new 2013 edition!) with a scripture bag, journal, and marking pen as well as The Goonies movie, and a "World's Best Dad" t-shirt I made him. :) Ross got him an airplane as well (the Chupacabra from Planes) that was immediately adopted into his collection, but is named, "Daddy's airplane."
I got some super nick snorkeling gear, complete with fins, goggles, snorkel, and a sweet bag it all goes in, some Oreos (since we're never allowed to have them), Christmas cereal, a step and stool to share with Ross ;) and the movie Robin Hood from Disney from Ross.
Christmas is so fun with kids!
We got ready and headed down to my parents to have some Christmas too. It was super fun. Ross got a great little picnic table ( I was super excited for this), some clothes, great sticker books for church or traveling, a cute train movie from her Auntie Rachel and Uncle Dain, and a huge Firetruck he couldn't stop oogling over from Grandpa and Grandma - it can even squirt water out of the hose - that's how amazing it is. Ruby got some adorable clothes, a cute snow hat from her Auntie Rachel and Uncle Dain, and a really fun suitcase with buttons and toys all over it. She loves it! Steve got some nice shirts, a great BYU sweat jacket and beanie, socks, shorts, and a cool remote control car that Ross also thinks is his. :) I got some GREAT boots and snow boots, some clothes, a board game, Steve and I also got some movie tickets and an itunes gift card. It was super generous!
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| Chillin' on Christmas |
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| A Giant Present! What could it be? |
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| Reminds me of another present he got two years ago... :) |
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| A sweet awesome play table! We totally needed one too - thanks grams and gramps! |
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| Ruby's cute new jacket. |
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| Ruby's travel suitcase. Ross thought it was pretty cool too. Uncle Garrett is trying to be the hero freeing it from its bonds. |
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| Rachel and Dain's first Christmas. More present opening. :) |
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| Steve opening presents in the ultimate comfort - a massage chair. Merry Christmas! |
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| Auntie Rachel got Rubes the CUTEST hat. |
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| Chillin' with Uncle Garrett. |
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| Ross's mega amazing fire truck that can actually squirt water! I should have been on the other side to get the look on his face. I thought he was going to burst. |
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| Ruby guarding Grandma Staheli. You have to get through her first if you want to speak to the Grams! |
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| One thing I love about Steve - he's always so festive. He's a good sport for family costumes, Christmas Jammies, and modeling his Christmas gifts. :) Here's the remote control car Ross thinks is his. He doesn't understand daddies like toys too. ;) |
We got my parents a family calendar, my dad got a World's Best Grandpa t-shirt, and my mom got a World's Best Grandma apron. We had Garrett for Christmas so he got a Goonies t-shirt I made him and some Oreos. After playing with some of our toys we nipped out to go talk to Steve's sister Meghan who's on her mission in Pennsylvania. She sounded amazing and is doing so well! She loved seeing the kids and catching up.
After that we made it back to have a fabulous Christmas dinner with my family, my Grandma Staheli, and my Grandma and Grandpa Grenny. We even had Christmas Crackers which were my favorite! I made everyone wear their crowns while we enjoyed some amazing turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Yum. We all went into a turkey coma after that while Ross and Ruby took some naps. I was running on fumes since I had the two ridiculously late nights. We watched some Christmas movies, played a rousing game where I claimed the crown of 5 Crowns, watched some more Christmas movies (where I fell asleep for the rest of the night) - it was completely relaxing and SO fun to have family together (lots of them to play with my kids ;) ).
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| The amazing dinner! |
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| The winner of 5 Crowns! I stole it from Garrett - woot woot! |
We stayed the night and relaxed the next day, went to see the movie Frozen (FABULOUS) and headed over to open presents with Steve's family. We got some great illustrated Bible stories, money towards Hawaii tickets (woot woot!) a great frame of Steve and my mission badges, a scripture cover and tie from Taiwan from Young, a beautiful casserole dish, some movies, General Conference cds, a scarf, and Hawaii apron. Ross got these amazing Disney books with a pen that says words and sounds when pressed on the pages - Ross is addicted. Ruby got two adorable pairs of pajamas too and an amazing picture of her name painted in Paris.
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| Ross's cool Disney books |
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| Jammies! |
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| Her awesome name for her room :) P.S. She ADORES Young. |
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| Grandpa Don and Ross made a tank out of a huge box. It was a major success - complete with windows. |
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| Showing off the airplane. |
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| Rubes really just likes sitting in boxes! |
Steve had a convert from his mission come over for dinner with her fiance, and then I tagged along with Steve and his brother Thomas to see Frozen again (yes it was that good). Another late night!
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| Steve's convert Sara and fiance Jeff :) Ruby quite likes Sara! |
We had planned only to stay Christmas night, but the late night the next evening turned into staying over another night...which then resulted in staying ANOTHER night since the BYU bowl game was on then. We went to my Uncle's amazing house to watch it and got to visit with our friends, the Youngs for a while. Ross and Addison are only about 3 1/2 weeks apart and they have a little boy, Kadan, who is 6 months younger than Ruby. We love them.
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| Ross went out for the traditional swing with Grandpa. Rain or shine, Snow or none - the swing lives on. |
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| This boy loves it! |
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| Rubes got a bath from Grandma Claudia - loved it. |
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| Cousin Alex chillin' with Grandma |
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| Playing toys with Grandpa Stan during the BYU game. |
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| Ruby is one of the toys :) |
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| My Uncle Joe's amazing home theater. |
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| Dining area |
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| You don't miss anything while you eat since they have TVs in the eating area too! |
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| Cheering in style...well trying - since we lost miserably. |
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| Hanging out with the Youngs before they head back to Atlanta. Little Baby Kaden had the most amazing chubby cheeks. I LOVED it! |
THEN - since I was into the whole movie marathon - I went with my mom and mother-in-law to see The Book Thief (again - AMAZING) and stayed the night, FINALLY coming back the next day. Whew. We're recuperating now...whew oh Christmas - you're great!
Really after all the festivities, presents, food, parties, and games - I'm grateful to have the holiday to be with family and remember what's really important. On Christmas Eve we have the tradition of giving something of ourselves to Christ. It always reminds me that giving to Christ isn't a one time thing - for it to be a real and sincere gift it has to be throughout your whole year - really throughout your life. I love the story of His birth - that He was once a little baby like the rest of us with a purpose to fulfill. I'm so grateful to know He is our Savior, my Brother, the Son of God. My beautiful children remind of the purpose and beauty of life and how love truly has no bounds. This Christmas was a crazy one. It was jam packed, full of emotions, and exhausting, but I'm grateful for the moments that blessed my heart and made me remember what this season all was really about - our Savior. Merry Christmas :) May we all live in a way that will allow us to be with Him again someday.
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