Ella was the first one to walk into our bedroom at 7:15 Christmas morning to point out that we forgot to put out cookies and milk for Santa for the first time ever. Logan and Emmett joined us within a half hour. I waited until 7:52 before I went and woke up Lia as the three younger children just couldn't wait any longer. We then spent a wonderful morning watching the children enjoy all of their Santa gifts and eating our traditional breakfast in the dining room. Since Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, we had to stop everything and get ready for church before heading off to our 11:30 service. After attending sacrament meeting, we came home to open up all of our gifts under the tree before eating a late lunch and putting Emmett down for a nap. My parents then came at 4 p.m. and spent the afternoon with us to open more gifts. Since they no longer stay for dinner anymore since it makes the day too long for my dad, we enjoyed a relaxing evening of watching the new Matilda musical and eating a late Filipino dinner at 8:30 p.m. which is unheard of for us. Since I didn't get the dishes done until 10 p.m., I crawled into bed absolutely exhausted about 30 minutes later. Overall, we had a wonderful Christmas season this year and I am so grateful that everyone stayed healthy and happy and could celebrate together!
Our annual family picture that we always have someone take in front of my parent's tree on Christmas Eve.
This year, Lia played Mary and Emmett played Joseph for the reenactment of the nativity story. Emmett was absolutely adorable.
Ella played the angel bearing good news to the shepherds that didn't exist this year as we didn't have enough people since Chris' family was missing.
The group photo I took of Vivi the star, Ella the angel, Logan the wise man, Lia as Mary, and Emmett as Joseph after we finished reading the nativity story.
Ella was the only grandchild to perform anything during the program. She played a few Christmas songs that she learned in the past few weeks since she returned to piano lessons.
We then sang several Christmas songs and then lit the candles on the tree to honor my dad's German heritage. We then sang "Silent Night" in both English and German before letting the kids snuff the flames out on the candles. Emmett was absolutely blown away by this as his mouth just dropped the first time he snuffed out a candle. It was so cute!
Ella snuffing away.
Logan's turn!
Lia finishing off the last few candles at the top of the tree.
On Christmas morning, I managed to take pictures of all of the kids' Santa chairs and couches before they came downstairs. Here is Emmett's chair. His favorite gift was a small, remote control car that he promptly drove down the heat vent (that I didn't have covered) in the kitchen and lost it in the bowels of the house. Ron spent almost an hour trying to find it in the heat ducts by using several tactics, but sadly, none of them worked. Luckily, I had an extra one in my gift closet since I had bought several of these remote control cars over a year ago to use as birthday gifts for Logan's friends. So, I was able to replace it the next day after I covered up the heat vent!
Ella's side of her couch that she shares with Logan. Her big gifts this year was the historical, AG Doll, Samantha, and her beautiful bed.
Logan's side of the couch. His favorite gift was the Nerf stratobow that is laying on the ground.
Lia's small couch sporting all of her presents including a trip to Arizona with me to visit her pen pal, Lauren, in a few weeks.
The kids all eagerly running downstairs to check out their Santa gifts!
Emmett holding up his large, hamburger Squishmallow that he got since Aunt Blanche's nickname for him has always been Emmett Burger.
Ella hugging her beloved Samantha doll with her new elephant blanket.
Logan showing off his Nerf bow while wearing his new hoodie.
Lia holding up a picture of Lauren and a postcard of the Grand Canyon that were both included with a copy of her plane ticket itinerary in an envelope that was laying on her couch.
The family sitting down to our Christmas breakfast of bacon, eggs, and a cinnamon bread roll.
The four kids all dressed up and ready to head to church.
Mom and the kiddos in front of the tree.
For the first year ever, I only wrapped up three gifts per child to place under the tree and all twelve of these gifts had a number on them to tell the kids what order to open them in. In addition, every gift was a clue for the big trip that we are taking this summer. We will be gone over two weeks and are going on a Disney cruise to the Western Caribbean, Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, and a road trip to South Carolina to visit Robbie and Austin. The first gift Emmett opened was a little toy, Disney cruise ship.
Ella's first gift was a pirate costume since there is always a pirate night on each Disney cruise.
Logan's first gift was a captain's hat with aviator sunglasses and a corn cob pipe.
Lastly, Lia's gift was a beautiful pair of Minnie ears that are Descendants theme (since she just finished performing in the play last month).
After these first four gifts, Emmett opened up a pack of custom, pirate-themed magnets to hang on our cruise ship door and then Ella opened up a bag with puzzle pieces in it. The kids immediately set to work putting the puzzle together.
And this is what the puzzle said: "Surprise! We're going on a Disney Cruise!" The kids were so excited!
Logan then opened up a custom ornament that I ordered that included the name of our cruise ship and the date when we set sail on the front of it. Here are the girls posing with Logan while he holds up the ornament.
After Emmett opened up an official invitation from Disney Cruise Lines welcoming us aboard and Lia opened up a copy of our flight itinerary (that mysteriously informed her that we were flying back home out of Atlanta), Ella opened up a gift that included an invitation to each of the children inviting them to Disney World. Logan then opened up his last gift that contained a train ticket on the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9 3/4. This gift actually got the biggest reaction out of all three older children. Ella started jumping up and down and Lia just gasped and put her hand over her mouth. I managed to get a photo of her reaction which is just priceless to me! She and I have literally been waiting years to go to Universal Studios in Orlando JUST so that can go play in "Harry Potter Land" as I call it. Needless to say, Lia was so excited and I absolutely loved seeing her reaction!
Logan holding up the Hogwarts Express train ticket with the small, Gryffindor scarf that I had wrapped around it.
Lia opened the 12th and final gift which was a framed picture of Aunt Austin and Uncle Robbie and their two boys and the first book from the Serafina series. This is how we let them know that we are going to finish off the trip by driving eight hours to South Carolina to spend five days with their aunt and uncle and meet their three cousins (baby #3 is due April 1st) for the first time ever! The Serafina book was included in this gift because we are going to drive over the state lines one day during our visit to tour the incredible, Biltmore Estate in Ashville, NC since that is where all of these books that Lia has read take place. Here is a picture of all four kids holding up one or two items that they received as part of this huge group gift! This was such a happy moment for all four of them!
The group photo Ron took of the kids, my parents, and me after they spent the afternoon with us.
And the adorable group photo I snapped of the kids while they were watching Matilda on the floor of the family room while I worked on making our Christmas dinner. I hope that this is a Christmas that my children will never forget!
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