Merry Christmas!!!

While we ARE missing family a lot...we have had a great Christmas! We got up around 7:30 am to open presents (Am I the only one that was up before the kids?). The kids were thrilled with all of their gifts and they got a haul! We usually go to party after party in Utah and they get gifts at most of those, so this time we just opened presents this morning, but still had most of the gifts we get throughout the season when we're in Utah. The result was 3 happy kids and 2 happy parents. We only bought them each one gift and have been able to save the needed amount to take them to DisneyWorld, thanks to some very generous donations from grandparents.

Ethan and I also got some awesome gifts, so no complaints here. We thank all of you! Here are some highlights from our day so far...

This is actually Christmas Eve, the kids got to wear their new jammies to bed.


This video was also taken Christmas Eve...we got a new camera (our old one died)and the video has sound...FINALLY!!! This was a priceless moment that wouldn't have been the same without sound.


The boys showing me what Santa put in their stockings


Levi getting the softest, cuddliest dog you could imagine. He was scared of it at first, but after I hugged it, he warmed right up.


Bryant and Jonas each got a remote control car from their cousins Porter, Paige, Eden, Lincoln, and Bella. They are very excited!


Ethan getting the gift Ali was SO excited to give him...can you see the excitement in his eye, Ali?


Grandma and Grandpa Woodbury gave each of the boys q quiet book...its almost as if they were there watching me deal with all three boys by myself during the choir program Sunday. Oh, and of course they all got a sword from Grandma and Grandpa Hoss.


Argh! Ahoy there me matey! Thanks be to Sophie for the pirate getup.


Swords, swords, and more swords! How many can you see?


This was a gift to Levi from his cousins Ethan, Spence, Skye, and Gavin, but the boys are so thrilled that we a have family pet now. His name is Joseph (as declared by Bryant) and he walks around yapping...thank goodness its the kind of pet we can turn off.



The rest of the day was pretty much spent lounging around playing with all our new stuff and sporting our new digs.


It was an excellent day! We also talked to our families and shared our exciting news. Ethan's parents called us in the morning and we sang this song to them, "We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We're having another baby, we're having another baby, we're having another baby in August next year!" They were thrilled and we then sang it to Erin in Australia on her mission and to all the siblings in Utah in the afternoon. My parents got a phone call during their gift opening and I told my mom we had a surprise for her on her front porch. She was thoroughly confused and headed to the door, telling me that Dave and Adrienne had just told them they were having a baby in August...she opens the door and opens the package waiting there. Inside is a message stating, "August should be fun for you, instead of just one baby, you'll have two!" All of our families were appropriately thrilled and surprised, it was awesome!

We ended it with a simple spaghetti dinner and putting the boys down a little early. Ethan and I stayed up and watched Pirates of the Caribbean (it was on ABC) playing our new game "Smart Mouth" (Ethan whomped on me!) from Dave and Adrienne. Not our normal Christmas day by any stretch of the imagination, but a good one, nonetheless!