Santa Came!!

On Christmas Morn, everyone except Ben got up early. He slept in (even with quiet wake-up calls from the excited older kids!) When he finally awoke, everyone else had eaten and looked through their stocking gifts!

So the older kids enjoyed Ben's gifts from Santa, as much as he did!

When I made the stockings I didn't realize that their very long, large size would be difficult to fill, especially on a budget. This year, they were only half full! This was all of Ben's "LOOT!" (Mostly Pokemon and Star Wars cards and candy!!)

After everyone dressed (except Ben, because he's spoiled!) we opened our gifts. Each kid had 5 presents to unwrap and a majority of Ben's were Star Wars Figures (20 in all!). I like these chubby little figures, no breakable parts and nothing to loose. Oh, and he also got a BLUE, glowing, noisy light saber! He was thrilled.

Rachel got a singing Hannah Montana Doll and Katrina got the Miley Cyrus counterpart. When I told Katrina she could have fun playing with Rachel and their "matching dolls" this is the look she gave me. It's the look you give a totally brain-dead mother. She informed me that since Hannah and Miley are the same person, they will NOT be able to play together, it's a time/space continuum or something.

I love this photo of Katrina. She gets more photogenic all the time. She was thrilled to have these two Barbie sets. Usually she wants babydolls. This year Santa gave her one, but she recieved 4 Barbie Babies! She is in baby heaven!

She and Rachel have been playing Barbies nonstop since Christmas. I have to beg them to bathe, eat and sleep!

Rachel received a microphone you plug into the TV to perform 10 HSM songs, karaoke style. All the kids gave it a whirl and when they are all asleep, I'll probably try it myself. So they don't give me that embarrassed, brain-dead look again.

The last present the kids opened (Ben is still not dressed!) was ornaments and $5 from their Great-Aunt Henriette. She is so good about sending little gifts for holidays and birthdays and the kids look forward to the nice things she writes in their cards. They each pocketed the money to pay for treats at the movie: "The Tale of Despereaux". I have to say, I did like the book better, but isn't that always how it is? The movie was very sweet, though and the kids really enjoyed it!

Josh and Emma are now at the age where they don't want quantity, they want ONE big present. So they didn'thave many gifts to open. Josh recieved a basketball hoop and Emma a hair flat iron. Josh spent the morning "building" his hoop with Dad and then he, Emma and Daddy played a game. I think Emma won because she's still bragging about it! Yesterday Ben and Josh went out to play and Ben won. I wonder if Josh is just letting all his "opponents" win so they'll keep playing with him. I'd better go out today and see if I can't win at Basketball for the first time in my life

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This beautiful thing was my present. It's not a good photo of it . . . I cropped out the frame because of lighting problems, but this is what Damian and his parents gave me. It's a painting of ME (the short one) and my good friend Kirsten. When I went on the Pioneer Handcart Trek this summer with the youth from church, our photographer snapped a photo of Kirsten and I having a Stake YW Presidency "Meeting" along the trail. You can tell Kirsten is "instructing" me because of her hand posturing. I love this painting and can't wait to hang it up. I love that the woman painted me thinner from behind than I am, too!

Click HERE if you'd like to read about the Trek. I'm going to write more about it, as soon as I get the photo CDs, there are some GREAT photos that I still want to share.

Click HERE if you have no idea what I mean by Stake YW Presidency (and you care!)