Christmas 2012

We've had an awesome Christmas!

Christmas eve we went to church.

Everyone was SO well behaved.

Katie absolutely loved the lights and the singing.  When each song was over, she would clap her hands and yell, "YEAH!" like she was at a concert.

We came home and had lots of good food and opened a couple of gifts.

Everyone was very excited for Christmas morning!

The first thing Jack said when he came downstairs was, "I knew I wasn't on the naughty list!  I was just a little on it, but I still got presents!"

The stockings were opened in less than ten minutes.

David's Christmas got off to a great start when the first thing he opened was "the top item" on his list.

Katie figured out very quickly what stockings were all about.

Jack got lots of goodies like a shotgun, knife, and other assorted weaponry...

Here's something you don't see every day - naked babies in a double stroller with a shotgun on top.  Welcome to the South.

Katie loved the Alyonka chocolates that Santa brought all the way from Russia, with the help of a sweet Elf named Jennifer.

Katie was very sleepy for most of the day, because she got up (unwillingly!) much earlier than normal to see what Santa brought.  She and I spent a large part of the day like this.

The irony was not lost on me that David got Axe deodorant and body spray in his stocking, along with Legos.  My sweet baby is getting older and more mature, and it's happening fast. 

Henry is just so excited and happy all the time.  He was so eager to open his presents and was so excited he could hardly stand still.

This little mister is just wild.  He was beyond excited.  Four years old is the absolute perfect age for Christmas.

And this sweet baby.  Last year she was in Russia while we celebrated Christmas, and we hadn't yet even met.  This year she was surrounded by everyone who loves her, and she got some of the sweetest, most thoughtful gifts ever like her Gigi blanket, a pretty silver bracelet like mama's, and a beautiful silhouette necklace that used to be Auntie Nessa's.  It's so cute and tiny, and has Vanessa's name engraved on the back.  It was so thoughtful of Vanessa to give it to Katie, and she wore it all day.  It is something that she and I will both really treasure.

All of Jack's favorite gifts involved Indiana Jones (really?  Who thought giving him a six foot long leather bullwhip was a good idea . . . oh me.  I should have given that more thought.), Lord of the Rings, and food.  He is a violent, well fed mess.

He also loved this box of - wait for it - money that David gave him.  David put a bunch of change in a ziploc bag and wrapped it up in a box and gave it to Jack for Christmas. 

David loved the Lego Lord of the Rings set he got.

Katie just loved everything.

David also got a Kindle, and he proceeded to download and read a 150 page book today.

When did he get so handsome?

Katie had lots of fun running around on Grampy's shoulders.  

Grampy probably needs a massage tonight.

Katie spent a significant part of the day being a little mama to her Bitty Twins or her baby she got that poops in the potty.

Aaand, the aftermath...

Jack passed out on the couch watching a movie on the iPad while Katie laid next to him playing a game on the iPhone.  It's a rough life for these kids.

Jack was so reluctant to let Christmas go that he strapped on his new headlamp and played a little in his bed.  

I hope you and your family had as great a day as we did.  I couldn't have asked for a better day for Katie's first Christmas.

Merry Christmas!