Christmas Morning

Christmas Day started well before daylight at our house.  For the month of December, 3 of the kids had been wrangling for an earlier wake-up/start time.  We heard movement by 5 in the morning, and by 5:25 most of the natives were up and starting to riot.  After pulling their teenage brother out of bed and rousing the sleeping 2 year old, we were ready to go by 5:30 am. 

Someone must have been really good this year...

ORANGE STICKS!  Santa has helpers in far off places :)

SPAM 

Harry Potter Mania

I love how they all have fun helping Luke explore his stocking and get just as excited with him as with their own stuff.

After stockings, I was all for going back to bed, but apparently Santa didn't bring me a nap.  So it was on to the tree.  We open presents one at a time, so our little elf helpers make sure everyone has a present before we begin each round.  It is so fun to see the excitement over the gifts that they are giving to others, wanting that to be the first present opened.  This year the kids drew names again but some of them also went shopping at the dollar store and got small, thoughtful gifts for everyone.  It was fun to take them shopping and see them in action.  I think my favorite gift was what Jake thought Don HAD to have...plastic hockey sticks. 

Luke was first up to open a present and Jake had drawn Luke's name.  He made sure it was the first present Luke got to open, Jake's old Thomas Tent that has been in the garage for a little while, the perfect gift for a 2 year old train crazy kid.  Luke has absolutely loved it!  Everything and everyone gets to go into the tent.  It took him a little while to realize there were more presents to be opened if he came out of the tent!

It was a fun morning, filled with surprises, hugs and lots of love. 

 

Once presents were opened, we had our wonderful Christmas breakfast, complete with Christmas Tree bread and lots of bacon. 

After breakfast, we all got ready for a wonderful morning at church, leaving at 8:30 in the morning.  It is amazing how much a person can do when they get up at 5 in the morning!