"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other - Burton Hillis

All the stockings were hung by the chimney with care....well at least they were until today when I took all the pretty Christmas Decorations down.  I always hate the feeling of the house the week after Christmas decorations are packed away, it always feels so bare.  There seems to be a certain magical feeling with the house adorned with lights, garland, trees, frosty the snowman, elves and baby Jesus sitting in the manger scene.  Not to mention the Christmas music, which to me, is the best part of all!  I LOVE Christmas music.  I take FULL advantage of playing it ALL month long!  Although the house feels bare now, we had a fabulous Christmas this year!  I figure I had better get this post done now because the kids are decorating a cardboard house and that might be the only chance I get to sit and type now that they are on Christmas break and they keep things very busy around here.  Never a dull moment when they are home all day.  :)

I had the chance to go to 3 classroom parties this year!  Luckily none of them were scheduled at the same time, which is usually the case.  So I got to stay the whole time and help out.  Let's just say, I am grateful for the kids' teachers this time of year because the kids were wild, excited, and all on major sugar highs.  I bet they are taking full advantage of their Christmas vacations!  

Olivia's Preschool class party.  

They opened gifts, made desserts with candles and sang Happy Birthday to baby Jesus, played some Christmas games, made ornaments, etc.  

Jack's class played games and made gingerbread houses.  Jack LOVED decorating his house.  It had candy piled as high as he could get it.  :)  It was also Pajama day at the elementary school and Jack was thrilled to get to wear his Super Mario Galaxy PJ's and slippers.

KJ was also excited to get to wear his Oregon PJ's.  They had a reindeer toss off their teacher's head, made gingerbread men, a parent's gift, and had a yummy table full of snacks.  He has a good group of buddies.

We also made Sugar cookies for Santa.  That is always a mess.  Sprinkles ended up everywhere.  And Dan and I couldn't help but laugh at Jack.  He just ended up pouring the whole bowls of sprinkles on top of one cookie.  Would you like some cookie with your sprinkles?!

On Christmas Eve we had the Gilley's over!  Britt and I tried to re-create mom's traditional Christmas Eve dinner.  Even though it wasn't quite the same as Christmas Eve at my parent's house, it was pretty darn close with lots of yummy food, and some pretty excited little ones running around. Shawn was a trooper to come as he had only had surgery a few days prior on his shoulder and I know he was hurting.  Thanks for sharing our Christmas Eve with us Gilley's!

We also made some gingerbread houses.  Even little Lucy got in on the action!  She loved the squishy icing on her fingers!

And then it was the traditional Christmas Eve Pajama time!!!  We read the Christmas story, put the cookies and milk out for santa, and tried to get the kids to go to bed cause Santa was on his way!!  The holiday's are so much more exciting with little ones around.  It gives us adults an excuse to act like kids again!

I think everyone got exactly what they wanted!  Jack, of course, wanted anything that had to do with Mario and he got the Mario Brother's Bed that he's been wanting for months now.  Jack wanted a picture on the stairs with all his new mario stuff.  He lined it all up so carefully. 

KJ got a Nintendo DS and a flying helicopter, both of which have already racked up hours of use.  

And Olivia wanted a Belle Doll and Baby Carriage.  She carefully puts her baby dolls in there every night and we all have to whisper because her 'babies are sleeping'. 

There is a quote that I read a few years back and I just LOVE it!  It says, 

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day.  Don't clean it up too quickly."  ~Andy Rooney

How true that is.  

Merry (belated) CHRISTmas Everyone!!!  

We love you all!

And in case you didn't receive our family Christmas card this year, here you go~