Merry Christmas!

Madeline woke up at 5:00 am and hopped into bed with us.  She fell asleep or just kept quiet until 5:40 when she finally got the rest of us up so we could check out what Santa brought.   

This year she asked for a 'Chef Bake' ( a convection toaster oven).   Much more useful than an Easy Bake, Santa thought.  ;-)

While we were lying in bed she wondered out loud, "I wonder what a Chef Bake looks like?"

Here is the best reaction.

Here is the 2nd best reaction.

  Max didn't miss out on any of the fun.  He arose about 2 minutes after Madeline got up.

I love this kid. 

Look at that face.  

Priceless!

        

She was so excited! 

We love Taylor Swift.

Can you tell?

It was a great Christmas!   We thoroughly enjoyed having TWO kids this year.    It has been something we had hoped for for the last 4 years.  It was a dream come true for each of us. 

Heavenly Father has blessed us greatly this year.  

Christmas Eve

This year for we spent Christmas Eve cleaning house, relaxing and getting things ready.  Madeline was great help... she wanted to make up for the rotten behavior that she has displayed over the month and thought that the last 24 hours before Christmas was a great time to start.  

Dad and Max took a nap together.

As usual we received our annual Christmas pajamas.  Max wasn't sure what to do but he went along with it.

After we had dinner at my mom's we got this picture.  I have never seen Santa using the porta potty.  I would've thought he had some magic solution to that problem.

Temple Square

We finally squeezed in a  trip to Utah to see the lights at Temple Square and see my Uncle and Aunt and Kendall's sister Shannon and her family.  

Madeline and Max had a blast with the cousins.    We took cousin Savannah with us to see eat at the Lion House and then we met her family for the lights.  

My brother Derek and his wife Stephanie met us at the Lion House and we had a great time! 

Here is Madeline at the Joseph Smith Building.

And Max.

Madeline and Savannah discussing how and why Joseph is so tall.

Max and Dad.

Some really nice guy offered to take our picture for us!  

Savannah and Madeline when we toured the Beehive house.  They took their own personal tour... they were just too impatient to wait for the sister missionaries.  The little trouble makers.  

Hurray!  Finally we get to eat!

Max was Derek and Stephanie's little boy for the evening.  They even got to feed him.  Making it much easier for Kendall and I.   Thanks guys!

We put so much food on our trays and we finished all of it!  It was so delicious!

Don't ask... I have no idea.

Max and Derek were buddies until Derek's arms fell asleep.  Then Stephanie took over.  They are practicing to see if they really want kids or not.   I only let them have Max for small moments, that way they want to have kids. ;-)

He just snuggled in and fell asleep.  Despite all the screaming we heard every time there was a proposal. I heard a rumor that there were 7 proposals that night.  We heard two.  

The beautiful lights!

F.H.E. Ginger Bread Style

We had our annual Ginger Bread House F.H.E. and it was a ball!  Max threw the candy everywhere and Madeline frosted the house.  Unfortunately our house was broken when we opened it.  But we frosted it back together and went for it anyway.  

Busy Max.

mmm.. yummy!

Miss Mads putting on the broken candy.  Thanks to Max.  

Max really really enjoyed the frosting.  Look at that cute face!

Dad finally took Max to play so us girls could dedicate our time to our house.  This was the night that Max took his first steps!  9 months old!  CRAZY.   We are really in for it now.

Yep.. it crumbled.  But it was fun while it lasted.

Christmas Decorating

The kids had so much fun decorating for Christmas.  Max was busy the whole night going through all of our boxes... he had a ball.  When the night was over he crashed!  

Madeline had a great time as well, and was helpful with Max, making sure he didn't eat anything he shouldn't.  

I love Christmas and having my family near me.  

Here are all the picture I caught of my kidlets enjoying Christmas.