Merry Christmas!

I really did a poor job of capturing pictures of Christmas this year. I got out the video camera instead but that means I don't have many pictures to put on my Christmas post. :) I love the Christmas season so much that it always makes me sad to have Christmas day actually come and see the season come to an end! We were able to spend time with both my family and Brian's over the holiday and that is always a lot of fun to chat and laugh with everyone. The kids really got into the spirit of giving this year with each of them making gifts for their friends and buying gifts for each other...thoughtful gifts for each other...not just something they stole from the other's bedroom and wrapped as they've done in years past. :)

This is my one picture I have of Hailey on Christmas morning going through her stocking and finding the fun earrings and nail polish. The rules for Christmas morning is that they can't come wake us up until at least 7 am so they actually showered to kill time before coming to get us. Nice!

...and this is my one picture of Nick on Christmas morning holding up something he got in his stocking.

I did, however, get a couple of pictures of the awesome wrapping job Nick did on the present he got for Hailey. I'm pretty sure we were out of tape after he got done with his wrapping!! :)

My favorite part of the morning was captured on the video below. The presents Nick and Hailey wanted MOST for Christmas were the new Ipod touches. I knew they would be looking for small rectangle shaped boxes under the tree and I also knew that what they would want LEAST would be socks & underwear. So I decided to hide the ipods & cases in a box under socks & underwear...hehehe. I set these presents aside and directed them to open some of the other presents and then near the end just casually mentioned opening those too like I had somehow forgot they were there. I could tell they were getting a little anxious that underneath the tree was quickly becoming depleted of presents and they still hadn't opened anything "ipodish". My favorite part of the video is how diplomatic they both were about getting a box of underwear for Christmas when they were really hoping those boxes contained ipods!! :)

As the season comes to an end my hope is that we can keep the feelings and spirit of Christmas all through the next year. I feel like the Christ centered lessons at church and conversations at home have been particularly near to my heart this year and I am grateful for the birth of our Savior and the role He plays in our lives. I'm grateful for good friends and family that surrounds us and makes our lives so much richer.