Merry Christmas

Christmas with the Heywood's

Grandpa, Steven, Tatum and Elizabeth

Emily, Spencer and Scott

Julz, Grandma and Sheri

Grandpa and Grandma opening their gifts.

This year we had the Huber's.  We got Belle, Brock and Beau each a gift and then for Sheri and Michael we got them a gift card to Maggiano's, Sonic and Harkins movie cups!

Steven and Elizabeth had us and we got a waffle maker, mix and syrup.  YUM!  (This is terrible but, this is my first waffle maker ever!)

My parents are always so creative when it comes to our gift and this year was no exception.  We each got a folding chair for the beach and in the back of each chair were gift cards to Arizona Grand Resort to all take a vacation there together.  (We went there last year as a family and had a BLAST!)

The grandkids getting ready to open their presents from Grandma and Grandpa.

My mom made fleece blankets for all 15 grandkids!  Also, included with each blanket were slippers and an invitation to a sleepover.  My kids could not  have asked for a better gift.  They are so excited and cannot wait for the big event!

The girls sleepover will include all things girly and they will have such a fun time.  They are going to have a planning meeting soon to plan the details!

The boys are going to do a campout and do all the things boys love to do!

A lot of the kids got DS's for Christmas so this is how we found most of them!

For Christmas we got Grandma Mag tickets to see Mary Poppins.

Spencer, Cody, Sam and Lindsay

Grandma, Linda, me, Julz, Sheri and Lindsay

Grandma did her traditional appetizer dinner (my absolute favorite).  The Figs, Grandma Mag and Peterson's came over along with all the usuals!  We had a great day and enjoyed our time spent with everyone we love so much.

Baby Magi (pronounced Maji)

Lauren LOVES her Baby Magi

My Grandma Mag made this absolutely ADORABLE baby doll with clothes, a diaper, bib, blanket and carrying case.  Lauren loves it.  She carried it around all morning and really did not care about her other presents.  She calls it baby Magi (pronounced Maji) but I will always spell it Magi - for Grandma Mag.  I debate constantly whether or not to put it up and save it so that it will always look great but, then I realize that if I don't let her play with it she will never have that strong emotional attachment to it.  So even though it may end up dirtier than I would like I would rather her have the memories of playing with it then me pulling it out from a box and just telling her that her great Grandma made it for her.  It will be a part of her life, not just a piece from her life.

CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas!!!

Santa REALLY came!

Wake up Sleepy Heads!

We first started out by opening presents from each other and from Grandma Mag.

Down the stairs we go-

What will we find?

Nobody knows!

A new bike!

A New Bike!

A new ripstick...GREAT!

I hope Santa left a little cash for any doctor copays we may need!

Stocking are always so much fun!!

No coal this year!

This was the only thing Blake asked to get for Christmas.

He is so easy to please.

This is how Chase was all morning long.

Really, we have lots of more comfortable places to lay.

What a great Christmas morning!  The kids got lots of fun stuff and we had a great time opening presents and seeing what everyone got!  I asked the kids what their favorite gifts were and they said... Chase-DS, Hayden- bike, Blake- Martian Matters, Lauren- Baby Magi (pronounced Maji)- this was the doll that Grandma Mag made for her.  I love Christmas time and all the fun and joy it brings.  As much as I love seeing my kids happy faces when they open their gifts I am equally as excited for the spirit that Christmas brings.  A time to reflect on where we are in our lives and look to the Savior and his life to determine if we are on the right path.  I love the Church music and lessons at Christmas time and all the daily reminders this time of year.  I am so grateful for the Savior and his example

Christmas PJ's

The kids opening up their Christmas pajamas.

I loved this picture of Hayden.  Last year after Hayden opened her PJ's she HATED them and she let me know it.  She really wanted the PJ's her cousin got.  We all have the same shirts and then everyone gets their own bottoms for their families.  Well, this year when I saw the cheetah bottoms with a matching jacket I knew I would win Mother of the Year in Hayden's book.  She LOVED them and was so excited to wear them!!!!!  Yeah!

The whole gang.

I love the pajama tradition.  My parents did this for us when we were little and I loved it and now I still love it.  Funny thing about this is that I was in 6th grade (so many Christmas' of the same thing...opening a present at Grandma's and it was ALWAYS pajamas) but, I still always wondered what the gift was going to be????  I really am not a dumb person but why did it not dawn on me that YES, it is going to be pajamas.  For years now my kids have said, "we will open our present THAT IS PAJAMAS at Grandma's."  Oh, well that is the same year (6th grade) that I realized that Santa was.......well, you know.

Christmas Eve 2009

Our Family- Christmas Eve- 2009

The little ones eating dinner- 

Beau, Ella, Lauren and Tatum

Love that face!

I love this girl and I love her food choices-

carrots, ham and croutons!

Katie, Justin, Alisa, Natalia, Landon, Sheri and Michael

LaDonna, Maureen, Steven, Elizabeth, Conner, Grandpa, Grandma and Keith

The animals in the nativity-

Ella, Beau and Lauren

The angels-

Kayla, Hayden and Tatum

That is one excited Wiseman.

A Wiseman and a Shepard...is there a punchline?

Our Nativity- 2009

3 more wisemen- Grandpa, Kevin and Keith.

I really like the fedora and the Kenwood robe!

Playing the bells!

The 12 days of Christmas.

I will never be able to fully describe just how much I love this woman!

We had a great Christmas Eve spent with family.  Dinner was at my parent's home and it was delicious.  We had the Magnusson's there and had a great time.  Julz did an amazing job on the program once again- she really has talent.  We sang the 12 days of Christmas and played the bells.  I never get sick of doing the same thing every year.  In fact, I look forward to it.  I love all the traditions that my family has and now these are becoming the traditions that my kids look forward to.  I am so blessed to have such an amazing family.

**A little side story- a week or so after Christmas I took the kids to my Grandma's house for a visit.  Lucky for us when we showed up- Wayne and Heather and their kids were all there and so were Natalia, Landon and Keith.  We visited for a while and then we left.  The next day I was brushing Hayden's hair and she said, "Mom, you know that teenager/grown up girl that was at Grandma Mag's?"  Yes, I responded (knowing exactly who she was talking about).  Hayden says, "When my hair is down I look just like that really pretty girl."  (Hayden is referring to the girl in one of the above pictures named Natalia). Yes you do Hayden.  I also told Hayden that not only is Natalia beautiful on the outside, she is beautiful on the inside.  I can't wait to see her again and I hope I get to visit with her more.  I have been thinking a lot about her since that day...... apparently so has Hayden.