Christmas Day

A few images from our Christmas morning. The best part - we were all together.

It started as always in the upstairs hall with the opening of stockings:

Clark must have been a bad boy this year....

A new striped Eddie Bauer shirt for Jim - he doesn't have any of those :)!!

Cal got what she asked for - underwear!

Why did Clark give me toilet paper?!?!?

What Clark really gave her - cute new cupcake mittense!

Tickets to go see Jimmer play!!

Go Ducks!

Clark and his new robe from Tessa.

Cali found the pickle.

A new Vitamix for mom!!

Trying out his new golf club in his new robe.

Christmas Eve Quiet

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is Christmas Eve.

After all the gifts have been placed under the tree.

After the kids are all in bed. 

After the house is quiet.

I love the peace, the lights and the anticipation of what's to come.  But most of all I love that it makes me stop and think and reflect on that very first star that shone over the manager that special night.  The reason we celebrate and do all that we do. 

It reminds me of the sense of quiet and peace that must have been felt that night in the manager, after the baby had been born, all the animals had settled down for the night and it was just Mary, her baby and that bright star.  What a gift we were given that night.

Minute to Win It

We added a few games to our Christmas Eve celebration with a few Minute to Win it games.

We were very entertained by the cookie game.  You had to move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth with only our facial muscles - no hands allowed.

 The boys did a good job but let's just say the girl's rocked it!

 We then played the game where you put vaseline on your noses and a pom pom attached to a string in your mouth and try to get the pom pom to stick to your vaselined nose!  This one was harder than it looked!!

 

Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve pretty traditional.  Grandma and Grandpa Best joined us as did our friends the Jensens and the Osbornes.

Of course the evening began with fondue dinner.

 Larry wore his finest Christmas attire.

 Best friends for 19 years.

 The moms....Marsha, Debbie and me.

 After a few stressful moments of not being able to find the chime music it was located and the evening could continue.

 Marsha and Larry were volunteered to play Mary and Joseph this year.

 The shephards were sore afraid!

 The angel brought tidings of great JOY!

 Three Wise Men from afar....

 Hannah and Tessa performed their traditional piano duet.

 New jammies for everyone!

 Time for bed and visions of sugar plums!