Christmas Day!

Santa was pretty sweet to the kids this year! Jeff and I had discussed Christmas a good bit this year and decided that we would give each kid one small gift from us and then a combined big gift... but we also really wanted to tell Santa to not go overboard as well. A priority for us this year was to teach the kids to give more and get less. We did this in a few ways:
1. We didnt sent Christmas cards. Instead, we sent the $ to a friend of mine to use to buy christmas gifts for a family who had need this year! Much easier for me and much more satisfying!
2. Adopting a family through work whose home burned down around thanksgiving
3. Adopting a family as a small group and providing Christmas for their 4 kids as a group
4. Committing to give to two kids from Compassion International this year
5. Having the kids go through their rooms and each fill a box with toys they could donate to the needy

All of these things were just really, really satisfying. I know thats a strange word to describe it... but thats all I can think of. It brought me a lot of joy to give to others who truly had need and to help the kids understand that we would have less this year as a result. :-)

We also got a new advent nativity called "A Star From Afar" which was super fun! And on Christmas morning the star was above the stable where Baby Jesus was so the kids moved the wise men to finish out the nativity. And we of course read the scripture that went with it. Super cute activity. 

But even still... check out the kids piles!

Mack got a leap pad 3, plasmacar, legos, a movie, cash register, glove and ball, playdough, a bath boat with cars, a wubble ball and a leap pad game

Lainey got a tricycle, bouncy donkey, chair, magna doodle, bath toy mermaids, little people ariel castle, a movie, playdough and a wubble ball

And Rhyan got a Frozen Ice castle, Disney princess dolls, Magic clip dolls, a scooter, connect 4, a movie, wubble ball, playdough and a shirt

Mack was running a pretty bad fever on Christmas eve and through the night so he ended up in bed with us (side note: he snores! haha!). He ended up sleeping until closer to 8am. Rhyan had promised to stay in her room till 7 so we could get  video. Except Rhyan acted ridiculous and hid and didnt want video. Oh well. So we got a few sweet pics of Lainey who still likes pics :-) She went straight to the donkey!

... and then was super interested in her bike! She LOVES that thing and could be pushed around in it for hours! I was grateful to santa for bringing it because pushing kids around on a bike for a solid year is killer on a back! ;-)

Rhyan was super excited about her castle!

Mack eventually got up but had to have a shower before anything else... his fever had broken and he was SWEATING... badly. His hair was drenched already and he was stinky. HA! He was super patient and didnt seem to mind getting cleaned up before seeing what Santa brought him. I'm sure the shower made him feel better, anyways.

He loved the plasma car and Lainey thought it was a blast to push him around on it! haha!

 We let the kids know we had ONE more present for them... one that we had gotten them but hadnt been able to give them yet due to all the RAIN!... We had wrapped the empty box of... a TRAMPOLINE! The kids opened it together and were SO excited! They were stoked for us to get it put together and even more stoked that the weather was clearing up (and it was insanely warm) so they'd be able to jump!

After the kids got a chance to enjoy their gifts for a bit, we got semi-dressed and headed to our Christmas morning tradition for breakfast: Waffle House! YUM!

For several years, I tried fixing something special that my whole family could love and have memories of for Christmas breakfast for years to come, but every year was a bust and I eventually got tired of it and said forget it... waffle house it is! :-)

When we got back home, my Mom came over to see what the kids got! But my 1/2 sister was coming to her house for lunch so she had to get home to cook and I forgot to get a picture with her.

Then, Andy and Ronni came over... which was GREAT because Jeff needed help putting the trampoline together!

Rhyan was riding around on her "tractor" and Lainey reallllly wanted to ride. So I asked if she could ride slowly with her... they did GREAT! Lainey was in heaven and Rhyan LOVED being such a big big sister!

The boys finally got the trampoline all put together and the kids got to jump for a while before nap! The upside to Mack's sickness is that it was totally viral and asymptomatic other than a fever which would make him feel bad. But when the meds would break his fever, he played like normal, which was nice to see.

I would call Christmas morning a success, for sure.