Christmas 2009

Austin obviously trying to fit in with Daddy home from Baghdad.

For my super-texting fingers, a new Samsung Impression with a second keyboard for speed texting!

All we wanted from Santa was a Baby Alive!

This Christmas with the kids being 7 and 4, it was super exciting planning all the Santa pre-arrivals. Christmas Eve, we read classic Christmas books stories, made cookies and Jonathan read in Luke. Ashley already claimed to be Mary but Austin did not want to be Joseph or a donkey for Ash to ride on. We tucked the kids in with a final "Twas the Night Before Christmas" story and put them to bed. Until 3 am. At this twilight hour, Austin then went downstairs, saw Santa had come and waited. And waited. He never fell back asleep. He waited until 6am and then got Ashley up. At 6:45 we heard thing being tousled and decided it was time to go downstairs. With the camcorder in hand, the unwrapping began! The stockings were dumped like trash cans and scraps of colored paper was flying in the air like confetti. Austin's hits from Santa this year included a new bike and Wii games. Ashley got and English pram and a Baby Alive. Life was good. Jonathan made us a grand breakfast and we again enjoyed another Christmas together as a family.

This Sunday we had our Sacrament meeting that was cancelled last week from the snow storm. I had the opportunity to speak about how hymns of Christmas bring out the true meaning of Christmas. I sang in the choir and it was a wonderful service. Jonathan is sick with bronchitis so the kids got to skip church and stay home with him today. After all, they only have 4 more days that Dad is home.

At this time of year, I am so thankful for my family and wonderful friends, church teachers who have been so wonderful to my kids, visiting teachers, home teachers, dear friends who help me out and are there for me, a loving husband who spoils me (letting me sleep in and cooking me breakfast in bed EVERY morning he's been home) and most of all for our Savior, Jesus Christ who made living on this wonderful earth possible.