Christmas 2012

Christmas is so magical.  It always has been.  and it always will be.  I really felt like we incorporated a lot of things into our family Christmas time this year, but of course, failed to capture photos of it all.  We talked a lot of serving and giving and Jesus Christ as the greatest gift. 

2 new traditions we started:

opening a wrapped Xmas book every night of December until Christmas.

Tweaking our clothes pin" family fun tradition and the "elf" clothes pins became service elves.
Boys picked a name and bought for each other.

Boy did the month go by fast...

how could it not with fun things to do...

Cookie making with Aunt Brenda

I had quite the adorable wrapping helper!

We got to listen to jokes every time we were in the car...
thanks for that Uncle Hugh!

Thanks to a preschool buddy we got to listen to "noise goo" for hours of enjoyment!

We got Southern California family visitors who we tried to keep warm!
Grandpa sleeps in his knit beanie in Southern Ca weather!  He really needed it here.

Ella got to wear her Christmas outfit to church and refuse to take an in focus shot for mommy...come on! where is the love?

By their stockings!

Porter and Ella

Porter was more than willing to help Ella learn how to open!

Ella with her Wonder Woman toy!  Who says girls can't love superheroes!?

 Miles with some of his "loot"!

Porter in the fort he built with his fort kit!  Thanks Grandpa and Grandma Hansen

The kids with their "Hawaii" gifts from the Gustafsons!

You can't tell the boys love Uncle Hugh can you?

Brenda had a box that ended up being a Christmas miracle.  So much fun to see it arrive on Xmas eve even though the post office said it wasn't going to!

One of the FHEs before Christmas we made snowflakes.  20 snowflakes for the 20 children who would be missed during this holiday season because of the school shooting.
We prayed a lot for those families affected by this tragedy and held close to our own.

So fun to spend Christmas time with family and remember the true meaning of Christmas.  Also, giving gifts is so much fun.  The boys each picked something out for one another and that was fun to watch.  I shared with them the 1st Christmas I remember falling in LOVE with giving gifts and realizing that giving is way more fun than getting.  I hope the boys catch that in the coming years.  I saw glimpses of it this year.

For Unto Us a Child is Born!

Merry Christmas!!!