Christmas Eve! Christmas DAY!

The first thing I did on Christmas Eve morning was buy Michale Buble's Christmas album for my iPod. I could, and have, listen to him all day! We had slept in because we went to Ogden for a Furniss Family Christmas dinner. (Thanks, Uncle Mark and Aunt Julie. We love celebrating holidays with you. And Brian and I have needed a Koryn and Jeremy fix for a while.) During breakfast Bridget was excitedly talking about how we get to open one gift on Christmas Eve and it's usually pajamas. Brian and I exchanged a look. After breakfast I went shopping... AGAIN. For the love of all that is holy!!!!

The advantage of having a December birthday is getting toys to play with BEFORE Christmas. The advantages disappear as you get older, so I'm glad Emil is enjoying himself now. (I bought them gifts at Disneyland for Grandma to give them. Emil is Lightening McQueen's one-man pit crew now.)

While the cheesy potatoes were cooking (thanks to Rob and Claire we had a Honeybaked Ham to eat for dinner), Bridget and I put the luminaries together. Emil supervised.

I wrapped presents all morning on the 23rd and I still didn't get all of them done. Most of the ones Grandma Peggy gave us were in See's chocolate boxes in a surprising variety of sizes. Interesting. :)

Here they are opening the "traditional" pajamas on Christmas Eve.

Who can resist that face? 

The Buzz gun was the other birthday gift from Disneyland. Brian's new full-time job is finding the foam darts and cocking the gun.

Emil was not in the mood.

Christmas Eve was a long night. Each of the kids got up twice. Before all that action I discovered the Sherlock Holmes TV series with Benedict Cumberbatch. It's fair to say I'm a little obsessed with Sherlock Holmes right now. I'm listening to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories and the TV series follows it pretty closely, but the TV show takes place in the present. Fun stuff. All that not-sleeping led to the first of the kids waking up at 8:00am. 

I found this chocolate on the floor later. Tiggers DO NOT like peppermint bark.

Bridget staked out a spot away from her brothers. Smart move.

Everything Emil got has wheels. :)

The blue truck was a big hit. That's what Emil wanted to sleep with last night. The binoculars are broken. They had a good run.

A new jewelry box! She got two bracelet making kits, so she needs this.

I love this photo. These emergency vehicles all make a lot of noise, but it's the most fun to hear Emil say, "Three...TRUCKS." He's trying to count and it's very very cute.

Colin took a little breather near the gift I bought for myself from the kids. How did I/they know?

Playdough.

We relaxed and played for a little while, then it was time to get Grandma and Grandpa's gifts and head out without the gift I got for the boys from Grandma and Grandpa during my epic journey on the 23rd. 

Emil was "shooting" Grandpa with an ambulance. Everything is a gun.

The calendar is always a hit. 

Bridget got tall, shiny boots from Santa, by the way.

Grandpa was teaching Colin how to shoot marbles.

Are you seeing what he's doing?! No wonder they are beating me - their powers of observation are their super power.

The "kids" surprised Daddy with new sunglasses. Here he is opening our gift from Grandma and Grandpa. Our parents are providing a big discount on the new washer and dryer set that we have to buy today. The dryer quit without notice on Christmas Eve. It's been 17 years and we weren't very nice to it, but COME ON.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Thanks for the lovely cards and wishes. :)