Christmas highlights

We had a fabulous Christmas. Quiet, relaxing, fun, and long!!!

Troy and I were hoping to sleeping in but to no avail. Eric woke up at 5:30 in the morning and was soon followed by Tyler. We had to finally send the boys upstairs to wake up Alison because she was being good and sleeping in.

We made the dough for chocolate chips cinnamon rolls, opened up Santa's gifts while the dough was rising, than we opened the stockings things after we rolled out and prepared the rolls, than finally the other gifts while the rolls were rising and baking. The kids think we should make it a new tradition and have chocolate chips cinnamon rolls every Christmas.

Some of the highlights of Christmas were:

• Troy went from not having a watch to having 4 of them. One I put in new batteries and gave it to him way before Christmas. I than fixed two others that were broken for quite some time and re gifted to him. We were clever on the wrapping. We made an I Spy jar and put the watches in there. He thought the kids were being creative and giving him their toys until he found the watches. Than he opened one of the gifts from Karen, another watch - A Mickey Mouse Watch. We had quite a bit of fun with that. He put them all on, Alison took a picture but she ended up on erasing the picture by accident.

• Alison got a digital camera and she used it all day long. She took pictures, made little videos, slide shows, changed colors on the pictures, and erased pictures she had taken a few times. She used it so much that she went through two sets of batteries in one day. She also got some really good books and was really excited about them. She also got a real Japonese Kimono. That was absolutely beautiful!!

• Tyler got two books on how to draw comic strips and a sketchbook to keep his comics. He loved it. He got a t-shirt from Japan and he was really excited about it.

• Eric got transformers. To anyone out there that has a child that wants transformers, be prepared to transform them ALL THE TIME!!! I am getting to be a pro on this transforming business. Eric loves playing with them but they are way to complicated to go from truck to action figure and back. What a project!!! He got a summer Japonese kimono. He put it on top of the clothes he already had on, a while later he came to me saying that he was burning up. He had at least 4 layers of clothes on. That was pretty funny.

• I shopped for myself this year and had to act surprised, which the kids had fun with. When I saw something I needed I got it and said "Merry Christmas to myself" Troy had a good laugh. I than wrapped it and guess what I actually forgot what I had gotten for myself. So it did end up on being a surprise. Karen gave me a beautiful neck less.

We had a very enjoyable Christmas break. We went sledding and Troy hit his head hard and had a headache for three days. We went snowshoeing and that was so much fun. We relaxed and played games. I won at Monopoly for the first time in my life... Watch out Tim, maybe I am ready to take you now!!!! Just kidding!

Troy stayed home on Monday after Christmas and I had to go to work. That was a first in the history of our married life, or at least after we started having kids.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and always remember why we celebrate this season. If not for the birth of our Savior we would not have had the Atonement, and we would not be able to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. That is why that precious baby's birth is celebrated.

Thank you to all of those who made this Christmas possible. Thank you for your thoughts, phone calls, gifts, love and prayers for us. Even through distances we can show our love and appreciation to each other. We hope that all of you are in our prayers, and that we love you dearly.