Very Merry Christmas!

We had a very nice Christmas!

Christmas Eve we had some of the Hansen side over for soup and crafts and decorating cookies. My family was sick, but everyone decided to come and take the risk, we appreciate that. Teresa spent the afternoon in bed with a fever, but it broke by evening and she was feeling a little better. Nathan and Jonathan had the cough and congestion(the coughs are still lingering with all of them).

Decorating cookies - - - - - - Making stick snowmen and snowflakes

Presents - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ty and Luke


Opening Presents - - - - - - - -Mary and John

Nathan and Teresa Christmas Eve



Here we are after the kids opened their Christmas jammies and Christmas book. We're reading The Pirates Night before Christmas. Then off to bed.

Christmas morning, Nathan woke up at 5:30am. We told him no gifts until 7am. Teresa and Jonathan got a little more sleep and I entertained Nathan :)

We opened our gifts at home and had a nice breakfast

Teresa got National Geogrphic Kids, a huge fuzzy blanket and some littlest pet shop from Nathan

Nathan got a tent, some skates and some transformers from Teresa

Then we headed to grandma and grandpa's house.

We ended up at my folks house around 10:30. Everyone else was already there (Rick and his family are here from Utah).

Look at all those gifts! We had 14 people there.

Nathan and Teresa and Santa Grandma handing out gifts

The boys race to open some gifts, and yes, that's Nathan in a box

As usual, we received a very generous Christmas from my parents. Everyone got some very nice things. It was fun to spend it with everyone. Thanks!

A visit to Santa...

But he wasn't home. But it was way more fun then sitting on Santa's lap. They got to sit in his chair and play in his yard and play on a sleigh.

Cousins

Besides, who needs Santa when you have Grandma

Here is my brother Rick and his family. (They are here from Utah)

Rick and Amanda - aren't they cute

(and yes, I have 2 sisters-in-law names Amanda)

What? What's that you say?!

I wasn't going to post this, since I've already posted a video of Nathan's moves. But it makes me laugh every time I watch it

- If you listen carefully you'll hear him say "What? What's that you say?"

(Teresa and Nathan are playing with Desi's Karaoke machine)

Making the village

Here are a few pictures of the building process, and the finished product, plus some of the kids exchanging gifts

Ty and Ian's

Michelle's

Jonathan and Jolene's

Serina's


Here are the kids as they opened gifts.

I have more pics to post from Friday and Sat - later.

Graham Cracker Village '09

First, I'd like to show you the past villages/houses from the first to the most recent.

We started doing it in 2002, just the 3 of us in the apartment.

In 2003 Teresa and I did one in Kindergarten

Then in 2004 we went to Texas for Christmas, so we did some houses with the Mattson's

I believe 2005 was when Kenan came for Christmas, so we invited everyone over to help. Sean, Serina, Ty and Michelle.

Here's 2006

In 2007 I made a backdrop for the village.

In 2008 the little boys were able to help and we were much to big to use the backdrop.

Here is this years village. We have so many we have to prop some up so they can all be seen. I'm not sure what we'll do next year when Ryan and Luke might be ready to help :)

The cottage in the front left is Serina's. Then right behind that is Ian's and behind that is Jonathan's skyscraper. In the very back is my lighthouse and right in front of that is Ty's majestic building. In front of that is Michelle's star fountain. Nathan's little house is in the front right, and Teresa's building is behind that. We had a great time, and to make the day better, dinner turned out delicious.

Jingle Jangle Jingle

It's such a fun time of year with lots of little fun things.

First a Christmas tree, Teresa actually picked our tree this year. Jonathan was very ill, otherwise he would have done it.


Nathan thought he found a good tree too - the branches


This year we added some sparkle to our snowflakes.
This is one of Teresa's

Here is Nathan's. Actually, I cut this one and he decorated it




Saturday we went to Jonathan's work party - He was feeling horrible, but we're glad we went because we had a good time and won $100 and the centerpiece. It's about time, we've been going for 10 or 11 years.

Then Sunday we decorated the tree






I have spent the last 2 months helping prepare for our Santa Secret Shoppe at Teresa's school. And then most of this week working it.

We painted 23 trees, and then had the kids color an ornament to put on their class tree. Then 1 child from each class won money to spend at the shop. (just so happens Teresa won - and no, I didn't judge her class)

We made some snowmen too.

So then we had to set up and display and price all the products for the kids to shop for. It was tiring, and not quite over yet. We have a few hours in the morning and then clean-up. But I can't help with that because Teresa has a band/choir concert at 12:45, and then I'm hosting a reception after for parents and kids, which reminds me I still have a few dozen cookies to make for it - Whew!


Then the weekend will be here and it's pretty much non-stop. So I figured I'd better post something now about this week, so I can post more next week. I love this time of year, I just wish it was a month with 45 days in it. I think it would be slightly more relaxing. Ah, who am I kidding, we'd just pack more events into it.