Here's the kiddos coming down... for the... second time on Christmas morning.
I always like taking a picture of their initial reaction to seeing the
tree after Santa has come. So we tell them the time we'll wake up and
go up to get them, and to wait for us. But our little boogers broke the
rule and woke us up to the sound of them dancing around the living room
and delighting in the sights. So we made them go upstairs again while
we got up and dressed. And here they are coming down again trying to
look excited about it... little fakers :).
Ashton asked Santa for a Nabi
for Christmas and asked Todd and I for gift cards. Grandma Lee wanted
to do electronic gifts this year and let us know that she had bought a Nabi for Ashton, Lainey as well, and an ipod for Brielle. So with the Nabi
option out, Santa had a hard time shopping for Ashton. Unfortunately,
this awesome generous gift seems to have put a stop to Ashton's belief
in Santa. But he was VERY grateful to get it!
I
was really worried about his gift card request! The stores are closed
on Christmas, so if we gave him gift cards, he'd be bored all day and
that's usually a day full of wonder and the joy of trying out new toys
all doped up on sugar! Plus there is just something magical about
children opening gifts on Christmas and he wouldn't experience that as
he sat and watched the girls enjoy that time.
But he begged and begged and was really excited to receive gift cards. The
luster of the idea of it did wear off soon enough and he was pretty bored.
He thought he could play with the Nabi,
but Todd informed him that it needed to do a charging sequence to
expand the battery life and then Todd had to set it all up and download
games to it... Between all that, it was out of order much of the day.
Ashton was a good sport and never complained once. But it was pretty
obvious by his unusual lack of pizazz that he felt the day was a little
dull.
His sisters, on the other hand, were having a blast with their
new gifts. Brielle repeatedly exclaimed that this was the best
Christmas, ever! They all shared some things and played games as a
group. But I think maybe Ashton learned that gift cards didn't make the
best Christmas presents for kids. Great for a gift any other time of
year, though!
Ashton did receive a few small gifts Christmas morning. He took his gift cards to the store the next day.
I ordered this hat for Lainey on Etsy. I LOVE it. Wish I knew how to crochet. She still sucks her fingers and twirls her hair. Sometimes she twists her hair so tight it breaks off and the hair on one side of her head is really thin and short. So this was a gag gift really for that reason, but it's fun to really wear.
Brielle LOVES to make things out of duct tape. The apple didn't fall far from the tree- I used to make and sell duct tape wallets in college at Utah State. Now 'a days they make some seriously cool duct tape colors/patterns. She got a bunch of them and it's been keeping her busy! She wants a duct tape birthday party theme this year...
Todd got a signed Chris Paul jersey and a case to display it in his man cave.
Lainey got a doll house... which looked a LOT smaller on the picture on the box at Costco and turned out to be both a smoking deal for what we bought, and a VERY long night for Todd to put together.
I got a lens for my camera! Been itching for this one for a long time!
With some of their favorite presents.
Brielle got a Kindle Fire from Santa. She
was pumped about that! Lainey loves the tea set- she's more into the
kitchen toys than my other two were. Ashton also received a gift card
from Grandma and Grandpa Foster which put him at having enough money to
buy a 2ds game device that plays Mario and all his old dsi games (his
dsi broke two years ago). With that gift, all his Christmas wishes came true!
Ashton and a gift card.
Pretty frosted landscape on Christmas morning. I love it when it's foggy out. Doesn't make the best color in pictures, but it was so picturesque to look at in real life!
Lainey received her first nail polish in her stocking. She felt so privileged!
Playing games in the blaring sun. The fog was breaking up and it all sparkled and glowed through the windows super bright.
Something about the ipod and the kindle made Brielle's whole demeanor different. It was as if she felt she had been entrusted to advance to a new level of maturity. In all reality, that's exactly what happened. We gave the ipod and kindle passwords- only known to Todd and I. We also disabled the wifi. She's too young, in my opinion to dive right into all Internet freedom and the freedom to use it wherever in whatever privacy she chooses. But we turn it on to download apps for her and then turn it right back off. Still, it seems weird to see our almost 10-year old playing her Taylor Swift songs and reading books on an electronic device.
It was too bright upstairs for under-slept eyes to continue playing games on the dining rm. table. They ended up in the basement. Todd's jersey was up. The man cave is coming along!
We spent the late afternoon of Christmas with Todd's dad and step mom. The other siblings joined us there, except for Amber who has been feeling really sick for a long time and turned up with Mono. She stayed home in bed.
Playing with their dogs- caught Todd with a goofy face :).
Brielle got an art kit which she has been drooling over in stores and magazines. It has been AWESOME. She uses it constantly.
Ashton got Legos which SAVED the rest of his day to have something cool to play with! He built it that evening with Todd while I cooked Christmas dinner!
Lainey got a more age appropriate art kit. She loves art and is definitely putting miles on this art kit. MOMMY, is super happy to have a place to put my monkey's art :).
Todd and I got gift cards to Dicks Sporting Goods which is pretty much the best store in the world. Well, at least in our area anyway. :)
Loved using my new lens there!
Still enchanting frost on all the trees that afternoon.
Attempting to make a pie crust. It didn't work the first time- not because I made it wrong, but I forgot about it and burned it! The second one was perfect. I had to avoid sugar for 4 years for a Candida issue so I'm a little out of practice of making anything sweet and yummy! But banana cream pie was eventually a success that night.
Christmas dinner: Honey glazed ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, sparkling cider, and eggnog. Then pie! Naughtiest meal I've made in years. My digestion is getting tons better. I was able to enjoy the whole meal!
That night we were actually able to use google chrome and video conference with every member of my family with Marty! (My brother on a mission). Such a fun time. He bore his testimony before getting off and just brought us to tears. He's so powerful and sincere and humble. He's doing some pretty great things where he's at. It really blesses us all that he's doing the work he does. Sure love and miss him. I just love and enjoy all of my family. My family is such a light and happiness in my life.
Elder Foster (Marty). I love how he glows :)
We took the tree down the next day! It was a real tree and was getting pretty dry. We cut it down at a tree farm in Horseshoe Bend. It was growing pretty close to another tree and we didn't realize until coming home that it sort of bowed in the middle because of it. Which made it's center of gravity a little off balance and it needed adjusted every single morning to keep it standing centered. It actually completely fell over twice! Once right on top of my little niece who was pulling on an ornament. No one ever got hurt, a few bulbs broke is all. But the hassle of putting it back into its stand and redecorating it each time made it no longer welcome inside once the holiday was up.
