Merry Christmas

I have been having a lot of problems posting recently, because we have some stupid virus that won't let me type anything, but I found out that I can load pictures on our computer and type on the laptop, so I'm behind and will need to try and catch up on some of the events that I missed posting about, but I wanted to share our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day pictures with you all first. :-)

On Christmas Eve we did our normal, yearly activities, starting with baking cookies for Santa.  I basically make and bake the cookies and let the kids go to town on the decorating.  I'm not fancy enough to actually make cut-outs, so they have to settle for round cookies, but that just means they have more room to pile on the icing and candies, right?!

Looks yummy!  They did a great job adding lots of all the good stuff to Santa's cookies and I'm sure he loved them!

This year we didn't make it to the Christmas Eve service, so we jumped into our pjs after supper was over and they each got to open their present.  They've totally caught on by now that they get a book each Christmas, but even if they surprise is kind of gone, they still are always super-excited to open them!  Madie got a pom pom puppy-making book.  Livie got a make-your-own-sticker book.  Noah got a make-your-own flip book book.

Their stockings were hung.  Their letters to Santa were inside.  They picked out their favorite cookies to put out with a bottle of milk.  Yep.  It all was coming together.

This is the cookie that Livie made for Santa.  That is icing upon icing upon chocolate chips, upon icing and sprinkles and mini m&ms.  It is a cookie made to put Santa in a diabetic coma!  Tater wanted it. ;-)

Sometime that night, it turned into Christmas Day and Santa paid a visit.  The TV you see there was Pete's present to himself this year. ;-)

With instructions to "not wake us before 6am", we were promptly told it was "CHRISTMAS DAY!!" at 6:02am.  They started first with their stockings.  Here they opened up their gift cards to The Bookmouse, a local bookstore.

Then it was on to Santa's gifts.  They each got a Minecraft figure.  I don't get it, but they LOVED them!  They also each got a pair of rollerblades and nerf guns.  Santa hit it right on the mark this year!

Livie also got a Brave bow and arrow set from us.  So, she was outfitted for battle by the time she had opened up all of her presents.

The prize of the morning was opening their new Wii U!  We ended up playing (and by "WE", I mean Pete and I .... and occasionally the kids) it nearly all day long.  It was so much fun and, hands down, the winner of the day

Here, the kids show off their new weapons.  Have I mentioned how much I love Nerf for finally making nerf weapons for girls?!  Love the pinks and purples and teals.  They are awesome!

This was our living room by the time everything was unwrapped.  I call that a great morning!

Tater spent much of Christmas sequestered in the closet, because he received a very large bone and was happily enjoying it in the privacy of his own space. :-)

Here are the kids playing on the Wii U, while we prepared breakfast and the turkey for lunch.  They got to take pictures of themselves and make their own Mii.  They thought this part was hilarious!

We bought Noah a wood kit that allowed him to make a shelf, a tool box, and a toy chest.  He and his dad worked to put the shelf together first.  He was so proud of how it turned out.  We're in IN as I type this and I know he's looking forward to going home and finishing the other two projects. :-)

We had a "thanksgiving meal" for lunch - turkey, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, etc...  It was delicious and a special part of our Christmas Day together each year.

Last, but not least, I wanted to share a picture of Madie's pom pom puppy.  She made this using her book from Christmas Eve.  Cute, isn't it?  The book came with enough supplies to make several of these, so I have a feeling, once we're back home, this sweet little puppy with have many new friends that she'll create.

It was a really fun Christmas for all of us and I'm so thankful that we got to enjoy it all together. Hope you all had great Christmases as well!!