christmas

We stayed again this year at the Christmas Cabin in St. Anthony.  Man I love this place.  It is amaaaaazing.  We had to wake up and go early Monday morning because we were in charge of Christmas Eve dinner with Kandee.  The meat I was doing needed 9 hours to cook so we had to get there as early as possible to get it in the oven.  It was just us for a couple of hours and even then it was so fun the boys ran around like crazy.  The cabin is special and makes the holiday so much more magical for the kids.  They hardly even played with any of their presents because the place is so amazing.   

After a couple of hours Heather brought by her kiddos while she ran some errands.  Kandee came by shortly thereafter too and we started getting ready for dinner.  Morgan was helping too which was so nice ( I can only imagine having a daughter but Morgan showed me it could be pretty awesome).  Then we just sat around and vegged.  It was really nice.  

Cam and Ty came by a little later with lunch, and Bob and Roberta and Alice followed.  We had pizza.  

 I love this picture because it just goes to show cousins are fast friends even if they aren't the same age and haven't seen each other in a year. 

 The cabin has all sorts of toys and this awesome bunk room.  They would build forts with these blocks for hours. (henry's in there)

 So much fun

 

The cabin is on 100 acres. 

(kandee taking a nice nap by the fire) (notice my rolls rising in front of the fire)

We relaxed all of Christmas Eve.  It was nice.

There are two slides to the downstairs in this room but they are elevated so babies can't fall down them. Notice me and morgan and Leah playing monopoly in the back...it took forever...I won. :)

Whitney and Schuyler and kids made it just in time for dinner. 

Roberta, Cooper, Heather, Brian and Cort. 

Dinner was delicious.  Kandee and I made Roast beef, ham, delicious gravy, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salad and rolls.  Everything was really good and we weren't totally stressed out because we prepared most of it at lunch time.  Also that kitchen is a dream I would love one that big and functional.  

 I love this of Morgan helping me with the meat because my hands were full. 

There are 4 tables like this in the kitchen.  Seating for all of us. 

After dinner we had peach and apple coblers with ice cream. YUM. 

After dinner we had a white elephant (which is always fun yet, ALWAYS brings tears to at least one child's eyes...it is super confusing to have a present taken away from you!)...then we opened up our Christmas pajamas.  I loved them this year but I am pretty sure it is the last year that we have tight stretchy pj's...my big boys were not fans of them. 

 

I love this picture...it makes me so happy.  What wonderful boys. 

Crazy faces.  I love them all.  

Love my family. 

At bedtime we went into our room and I read the kids the poem Jest fer Christmas, that my mom always read to us.  Then we read about the nativity and read a couple of stories from the friend.  My kids fell asleep pretty fast and then I went upstairs to sit in front of the fire for a while. 

I snuck a peak of the presents before the boys woke up! Santa came!!

 Darling aspen. 

(grandma Alice kept wondering if someone was going to do something about her hair...haha, I love this little girl)

Stockings  (oli got a head scratcher and it was a hit, everyone there loved it)

Side note...Grandma was feeling horrible the whole time.  Her knee was hurting so bad.  She was a real trooper and tried really hard to not complain but you could really tell that she was hurt. 

we didn't wake Theo up for the excitement (he only had 1 present anyways)

BUZZ!

Oliver 

My kids asked for BOONDOGLES I thought it was crazy but they have been making so pretty cool keychains. 

spoiled. 

Tyler, shade, kandee, and Morgan. (Shade got a letter saying his license  was suspended...merry Christmas!)

 

Oliver had a great Christmas BYU hat, sweatshirt and headphones. 

I got this hat for him customized with his nickname "Vert"...it was a HUGE hit.  Plus I got it on a black friday sale so it was a great deal. 

(he had wanted it for a while and I happened to check on black friday to just see if they were having a special and they were!! score!)

Henry dressed as woody with Woody. LOOOVE.

We spent the day relaxing and playing with toys.  Cameron gave all the big kids a remote control helicopter which was so fun and they loved flying them.

Grandma Alice and Grandma Berta made a delicious breakfast of egg casseroles, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, and orange juice. 

At night we played games which included egg roulette...there were boiled eggs and fresh eggs and you picked and then cracked it on your head.  It was pretty funny and Roberta got it pretty bad. (i of course didn't play)

Pretty Leah. 

Christmas day dinner we had awesome Spaghetti and meatballs made by the Arensberg's and the William's/ 

We played a lot of ping pong, air hockey, and pool.  

I had been wanting a nice pair of moccasins for a looooonnngg time.  Cortney got me these beauties.  They are moosehide and so soft.  It was a wonderful present. 

A couple of days after Christmas Theo pulled the xbox down on top of his head.  POOR baby. 

I love to have a list of my kids presents just for record keeping.  I love reading back what I got when I was little.  

Henry...

Buzz Lightyear

Woody

Cardboard spaceship

Mini Piano

Nerf gun

Woody and buzz pajamas

Wooden train set 

Watercolors 

Rob...

Butterfly kit 

Just Dance 4

Stuffie

Sweatshirt

Bow and Arrow

Journal

Melty beads that you iron into stuff

Sweatsuit 

Boondoggles

Oliver

BYU hat

Skate 2  xbox

shaun white snowboarding xbox

car game xbox

BYU sweatshirt

Pants

minecraft for computer

scooter

Diary of a wimpy kid Journal

Lego ninjago encyclopedia

BYU head phones

We bought Ike's old xbox and gave that to the kids too.  They were thrilled!!  Plus we also got a couple of wii controllers.  

Theo

Keys

Cortney

Solar powered wireless keyboard

headphones

Ashley

Mocassins 

Cortney got me a bunch of utensils from the dollar store.  

From Bob and Roberta (and alice)we got an awesome 72 hour kit for 2 from shelf reliance and a great set of silverware, The boys all got blankets and books.

From my parents we got a book and some $$

oli got a ornament that is a radio that counts down to christmas, Rob got a hamster ornament that sings, Henry got a woody guitar ornament and Theo got a Rudolph ornament. 

I got a family picture ornament from my grandma earl.

From grandma Aha Oli and Rob got walkie talkies, Henry got monster trucks, and Theo got this great baby toy.  I got the reader's digest and HICKORY farms...yum!

Cali and I gave each other the same thing...wrinkle cream!!

Pheww that was a lot to type and I am sure I have left things off...Man we were really spoiled.