Happy Birthday Sarah! Go get 'em.
Setting Apart
We are going to miss all of our visitors. We were glad to be a part of the momentous event. We are going to miss one of our favorite Aunts.
Grandma, Sister Page, and Grandpa
Here is a great shot of the 3 of them. Grandma and Grandpa made the setting apart. We are so lucky to have such great examples.
Sister Page and Sister Page
Here are Emily and Sister Sarah Page after her setting apart by Elder Nuenschwander. It was great and Emily's Red Hair is AWESOME!
Christmas Morning for the Girls
Reagan was the first one up on Christmas and got her wish of a bottle right away! After that she was in wrapping paper heaven. This picture of her is perfect since almost all of our Christmas came from woot.com and kids.woot.com.
Last Christmas McKinley slept in, so this year, she made up for it by enthusiastically enjoying every moment. When you ask her what Santa brought she says, "Pesents!" She enjoyed a treasure box and a box full of dress-ups that I got from a good friend's garage sale, keeping up the tradition of McKinley's Christmas costing around $5 (thanks to the DI last year). We figure they will be asking for expensive things like iPods and name brand clothes soon enough, so live it up while we can!
Christmas Morning for the Boys
The kids did not get up until 8:00 on Christmas after an eventful Christmas Eve. The kids "saw" Santa and Rudolph out the window and then rushed to bed at 7:00. They were so good, we did not hear a peep - even when the heard jingle bells outside their window. According to Lincoln, "It was more jingle bells than one person could hold, so it had to be Santa." He also said he heard Santa say "Rudolph, if you hear something, tell me!" By 8:00 Lincoln was the only one still awake, so I turned on Babes in Toyland for him and he eventually fell asleep.
When we opened presents in the morning Jefferson chose one of his gifts from Santa to open and inside was a 9-inch Denver Broncos action figure (it has clothes and joints like a doll, but it is for boys, so I guess that makes it an action figure, right?). Truman saw it, turned around and did a face plant into the couch. He was SO JEALOUS. He folded his arms and walked out of the room while Jefferson oohed and ahhed over it. When he eventually came back and had his turn he ripped into a similarly shaped gift of his own, also from Santa. (Seriously, I have never seen someone unwrap with such vigor and that is saying a lot considering how many presents we open in a year around here!) Sure enough, inside was his very own Denver Broncos football player. Santa got these toys for under $4, so definitely a prize this year!
A Fresh Start!
We thought we would start the New Year off right with some bath time fun. Reagan was all bathed and clean (she actually screamed through her bath terrified, because I usually shower her - water over her head, calm, sit down in water, waaaaahhh!), but wanted to join in the fun the other two scoundrels were having. Baths are great winter fun when you can't go out and play.
Christmas Tree Traditions
We drove to Alpine and braved the cold to pick out a Christmas tree and start off the Christmas holiday. I had a great time and we ended up with a giant beautiful tree that was EXACTLY the size of our living room floor to ceiling! Way to go Brian! The kids enjoyed decorating it and even un-decorating it now that Christmas is over. It is work, but what holiday tradition isn't?