For unto us a child is born...

This Christmas was such a blast! Christmas Eve we were with awesome friends we have known along time and have spent the last 4 years or so there. During the day we cooked a TON then we actually opened all of our gifts from our parents. It is something we started doing because mom always put stuff in our stockings that had to do with gifts we got. Like this year my dad got a blu-ray player and mom had blu-ray dvd's in the stockings. After we got home Christmas Eve we opened the sibling gifts. :) Even later that night we decided to go check out the Snow and this is what resulted......

Hunter face planted...then I jumped in...then Ashtyn...then Ethan...I love my family! =)

Our HUGE stockings. My mom made these last year. The kids were so happy because that meant more stocking stuffers. :)

Just Dance.
The game of the century...okay, well not quite, but that's the way it was for my family over the holidays. My mom got Wii fit from all of us kids and she got Just Dance from my dad. We have played Wii so much this Christmas. It has been great family time and laughing time. :)

Rae, Joshua, and I chillin on the couch at our friends on Christmas Eve. :)






One of the many games we played...Mom got the new Cranium on Black Friday and we have played it lots! We played Risk, Settler of Catan (a super, awesome, fun game!...our family neighbors across the street got us the Seafarers one for Christmas so now we have an addition to add on to it...i can't wait to play), Life, cards (every card game there is to play), and Wii!


This was Christmas afternoon...the girls won =)

A Christmas tradition....there are many things we do every year (like watching It's A Wonderful Life) and normally something new too. The biggest thing for us are the gifts we get. We(all the kids and parents) get 3 main gifts. A few years ago my parents knew they wanted to change the way we do Christmas just so that we stay focused on what it's all about. So they decided we would get gifts similar to what Jesus received.

1. Gold. Something big we want or just anything we would really like...Some years it might be big and others it could be small, but it's always fun.
2. Myrrh. Anything having to do with our body (clothes, perfume, jewelry, etc.) Kind of similar to the Myrrh Jesus received which was used for incense, perfume, and medicine.
3. Frankincense. A gift having to do with our relationship with the Lord. This year I got an electronic Bible. Sometimes it is a devotional book, a worship Cd, etc. Frankincense was a resin that was burned in the temple. So these gifts are related to that.

Just thought I would share a family tradition. I would love to hear yours!

Overall, we had a great Christmas...it ended too fast but I am thankful for this break and the reminder, we all need, of why we are here.