Christmas Day!

Christmas morning the boys were up before the sun...of course! Davis woke up before Grant so we put him in bed with us. When Grant woke up we heard his little feet running down the hall from his room to the living room and then running back to our room...he was so excited he could barely contain himself, telling us to hurry and come see that Santa came and what he brought!

These videos are long...basically just documenting our morning. Grant usually has to whisper early in the morning because he's up before Davis, so that's why he's whispering in this video.

We opened stockings and probably didn't even have to open anything else the rest of the day. They were totally happy with their stocking stuff.  We ate Christmas breakfast, french toast strata with buttermilk syrup, bacon, sausage (really the only time of year we eat bacon) and oranges, opened a couple more presents, and got ready for church all before 9 o'clock!

Adam took Grant shopping to get a gift for me and his brother a couple of days before Christmas. When he saw this car thing in the store he was like "Davis would love that," so they got it. It was a hit, definitely Davis' favorite present. Apparently his brother knows him best. This video was taken right after breakfast before getting Sunday clothes on...hence the naked baby with wet hair from the breakfast wipe down.

After church was more present opening.

We headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's around 2 for more food, presents, games, spiritual enlightenment and fun with the cousins!

Before Christmas was even here Grant was reminding me that he wanted to be Joseph when we went to Grandma's and did the baby Jesus story. I couldn't believe how much remembered from last year's nativity performance. He was only two, but told me how Olive was Mary and Uncle Joey was the donkey and he was Joseph and wanted to be Joseph again! He remembers EVERYTHING. This year Olive wanted to be an angel and Gracie was very pretty Mary.

Marcus was the donkey:)

I love seeing how much the kids enjoy doing the Nativity story. It was definitely the highlight of Christmas, as it should be.

Grandma Great was able to come celebrate with us.

Grant, Grandma Great, Haley, Gracie, Lucy, Lillie, Spencer, Andrew.

One more video of Grant and Adam putting together the Marble Tower they got from Grandma P.

Still catching up on Christmas...

Christmas this year was pretty magical. Adam even said, "this is the first Christmas I haven't missed Christmas morning with the whole family." Christmas Eve we went to Lyndsey's for homemade pizza, really good homemade pizza like pear, gorgonzola, pecan, and chicken thai, and bbq chicken, and goat cheese, sweet pepper, oh my gosh they were good. Santa's elf brought the kids new pj's and they had a dance party. The night ended with gourmet hot coco topped with whipped cream and chocolate chunks. We got home at 7:15, put cookies and milk out for Santa and carrots and celery on the porch for the reindeer, and the kids were in bed by 7:45, awesome.

Awesome picture of me I know...had just gotten out of the shower, no makeup and wet hair, but Davis is cute!

All ready for the morning.

A LOT of Christmas Festivities, Finally

Zoo lights and Santa with Grandma and Grandpa H!

Lots of pictures with Santa! Davis was good for like a half a minute. Then the arching back and screaming ensued.

Putting his letter in the mailbox for Santa.

Gingerbread House Making
For the first couple of weeks of December all Grant wanted for Christmas was a gingerbread house. He saw one of those gingerbread house kits at Costco and then at Walmart and couldn't get it out of his little head. Whenever someone would ask him what he wanted Santa to bring him he's say a gingerbread house! What an easy child:) Then at school he made a graham cracker ginger bread train and he was soooooo happy!

Nice Aunt Vanessa also indulged him in his gingerbread house dream! She had him over for a sleepover and they made one together. They planned it out for weeks and Grant was so excited about it. Whenever we'd see Vanessa they would plan what they were going to put on the house... "m&m's... definitely, candy canes...definitely," they had the funniest conversations about it. I wish I could have recorded some of them. Vanessa sent me these pictures of their fun times.

After the gingerbread house making, Vanessa, Rich, and Grandma H. took grant Elf hunting at Gardner Village and to feed the reindeer at Thanksgiving Point. He was in heaven and had the best time. Thanks guys!

More Santa!
Grant's preschool class went to see Santa at the mall and got chocolate See's suckers that were super yummy and SUPER messy!

Sarah and Paul and their beautiful little girls came to visit!!
I was so happy we got some time with the Mickelsens especially since their trip was cut short when Paul found out he had to go home early for work. We spent a wonderful afternoon together, had dinner, talked and talked, let the kids play, had a sleepover, went to the temple in the morning and then said our goodbyes. It was short but wonderful. Mickelsens' please come be our permanent house guests! That would be my dream.

It was our first time meeting little Lillie who is so happy, chubby and adorable!

The lights at Temple Square.

We were SUPER LUCKY and accidentally ran into the Smylies while they were in town from Africa! It was wonderful surprise!

Adelaide and Grant were fast friends. I love this picture. Such funny kids.

The Hepworth family Christmas party. 
Vanessa put together a bunch of minute to win it games, one of which was how much Kleenex you could pull out of the box in a minute. Needless to say there was lots of Kleenex all over the family room. The boys had a hayday!

Vanessa gave Grant a reindeer "pooper" which he thought was the awesomest thing ever.