It was the most wonderful time of the year…..

Christmas starts early for us.  Come mid-October (yes even before Halloween) you can catch Perry pulling up David Archuleta/Tabernacle Choir version of Joy to the World on youtube, or me sneaking Manheim Steamroller and Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas CDs into the car.  I love that we are both ok starting Christmas before Thanksgiving.   So Christmas lasts for months over here and it’s the best.   I didn’t get any pictures of our wonderful Thanksgivings, we ended up having 2 on Thursday and Friday and they were both so nice. 

 

But let me start by showing you why I couldn’t possibly have a bad holiday season….check out this kid….  after we put the tree up in the house there were pine needles here and there, and Rockwell, self inspired grabbed the broom and tried to sweep it up, after realizing he wasn’t getting much swept he just sat down and picked up all the pine needles one and a time and put the in the dust pan. 

He is such a good boy, always.

So we got our tree pretty late on a Saturday night and first thing Sunday morning Eyla woke us up so she could put the lights on.  Last year our church was at 1:30 and Sunday was Perry’s only day to sleep in.  I can’t imagine that he was too thrilled to be hanging and recording the hanging of the lights at 7 am but you would never know it.

Monday night we decorated the tree.

 

On Christmas Eve Eve (dec 23rd) we went to the lights at Tuachan.  The girls enjoyed the music and atmosphere and danced around and sang.

Rockwell had a pretty rough evening….

I think because of this jolly old fellow…..

Eyla asked for a computer, a cell phone, and a ipod…. really?  Raya asked for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ponies and rollerskates.

It was beautiful weather, of course it is St. George after all. 

Then to Costco for hotdogs.

Yummo…..

 

Then onto the next event of the night, our Christmas tree sleepover.

Personally one of my favorite traditions.

 

Christmas Eve was spent with some of our favorite people having a gingerbread house competition and decorating sugar cookies.

The teams:

Chayse Char

This year Raya ditched me for teaming up with Shay.

Team McKell and Eyla as usual.

Chars parents, and little Luxamunga

Rockwell went with Grandma and Grandpa and ended up eating more sweets than working.

Me, Perry, and Ruby (can you tell I was tired for our tree sleepover?)

Our quonset hut so should have won.  One of these years I’ll win.

Decorating sugar cookies for Santa.

 

 

CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Well she certainly didn’t get a computer, phone, or ipod, but she got a bunch of baking supplies from Santa and according to her it was ok because she said, “How did Santa know I would want this.”

(and this apron from her Aunt Cindy completed her Christmas). 

 

 

The ponies she requested….perfect!  Now for the rollerskates.  Maybe her birthday.  haha or not…

 

Rockwell and Ruby and their ball and octopus game. 

Just say ball and for Rockwell its Christmas.  Ruby just loves anything she can touch.

 

And Rockwells BYU helmet from Grandma and Grandpa.  Clearly he liked it just a little….. 

Nothing says Christmas was wonderful like your kids taking all their loot to bed with them.

Speaking of BYU, I think there was a bowl game or something a few days after Christmas because we got these 2 all dressed up for something.

 

I can’t remember who we played or if we won.  I was too busy taking pictures of the cutest baby on the planet!!!

 

 

Another good thing about the holidays is the chance to renew yourself with the New Year  and making new goals.

Waiting for everyone so we could go burn our Christmas trees and then dig up our time capsule/new years goals box.

everyone was a little late and they sat on the curb playing the cheese ball drum for over an hour

My most favorite thing about dirt roads is that the little ones can drive.

 

Getting wood to add to our tree bonfire.

 

Ruby loves fire.

Rockwell and Raya love to shoot.

While Eyla is content to sit and eat smores (like her momma)

and wipe the dirt off her boots (NOT like her momma)

 

Later that night, ringing in the New Year.

watching Shirley Temple with Aunt Kell.

Playing wits and wagers.

Just hanging out.  and then

Wiping out….

None of them made it past 11.

 

We went back a few days later for the box, (the first time we went on new years someone had taken our spot and was shooting towards our box so we couldn’t dig it up).

Eyla got us there, barely :)

Ruby hiked for a good 30 seconds then I carried her the rest of the way, I’m pretty sure she was ok with that.

They all took turns digging it up.

then we swapped out our goals and capsule stuff and then covered it back up.

Raya drove us home, kindof.

 

 

There it is finally, our Christmas/Holidays, 3 months late, and now that I’m posting it I’m realizing how thin I am on pictures. 

A little sad but my hands are always busy with some little one and honestly there is nothing else I would rather be doing.