Christmas, a summary.

Well, Christmas is gone. Hallelujah.

We packed that sucker up Saturday and I have been in the throes of cleaning ever since.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I like Christmas well enough.

I just feel like my house isn't CLEAN when I have all that extra cutesy decoration stuff up. So, fun while it lasted, glad it's over.

Obviously, I have to show you all the pictures of our Christmas because HELLO. I AM A MOMMY BLOGGER. ROAR.

Starting with the all important tree. I would like to direct your attention to the window. Outside the window to be precise. Our Christmas started at Dark O'Clock. The boys woke up very very excited around 4 am, and I was nice and let everyone else in the house sleep until 6:30. Well, you know, except for me and the boys. Because I had to stay awake to make sure that they didn't race up the stairs and tear open any presents. BECAUSE CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT FAMILY TOGETHERNESS, DANGIT.

When we finally woke Dad and the girls, we headed straight to the stockings. Santa filled them up with lots of cool things like socks and light sabers and candy and jump ropes.











After opening our stockings, we moved onto the gifts beneath the tree.

My children made out like BANDITS.

Taylor got a new baby and all the fixin's.....

Daniel got the "big big big big big big big BIG green monster truck" that he's been praying for every night for the past two months.

(Mommy is just thankful that is has a secret MUTE button)

Blayne had asked for Barbie dolls.

Wish? Granted.













While Tad got BOY STUFF like Transformers and Bakugans.

(Pictured holding his Decepticon that he can transform all by himself by following the instructions. There are 15 steps.  I can't even figure it out.)



This year was really fun because my kids are finally old enough to participate in family traditions. On Christmas Eve, they all helped me to make dozens of tamales. They also helped take neighbors plates of treats, and when we read the nativity from Luke, they acted out parts.

They also know the words to so many Christmas songs. We had a grand time singing carols acapella. On Christmas Eve, they each got to open a present from Dad and Mom (it was pajamas's) and then they exchanged the gifts they'd gotten for each other. We left a note and cookies for Santa, and then they went to sleep straight away. (It was amazing.)

This is the first Christmas in a long time that I have been excited about. I'm so grateful that I get to experience it through my children, because they remind me how magical this time of year truly is....

(I'm still glad it's over though.)