So Cal in January - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Morning 2011

We had such a restful and fun Christmas day. It began dark and early and Brody was the first to shoot down the stairs to spy what awaited them under the tree. To his sad surprise there were very few presents there beneath the boughs. Brody's face was a mixture of shock and sadness. I took him by the shoulders and spun him around to see the loot that we'd stacked against the other side of the room, since Matt's childhood train set was wrapped around the base of the Christmas tree this year.

I think Brody's favorite gifts were the little Lego sets that were stuffed into his stocking. As always, Brody disappeared to play with the first few gifts, while the other boys wanted to keep going.

My favorite unwrapping memory of Asher (3) this year was when he opened two packages of his VERY OWN underwear! He'd only had hand-me-downs with characters that weren't his favorite and elastic bands that were slightly stretched out already. Check out Happy's happy-face! A close second to that gift was his toy Knights.

But the dearest response to a present of all what Caleb's, when he opened his little leather journal from his Dad. The week before was his birthday and all he really wanted was a black leather wallet like His Dads. And for Christmas it was a tiny leather journal "like Dads." The smile came straight from his heart as he looked up at his Dad.

Celebrating with Grandma is also always a treat for me... and the boys! We have had a blessed Christmas season celebrating our Savior's Birth, and enjoying the freedom of love and life He came to give.