The Day After

The day after Christmas was almost just as fun as Christmas.  I found Abby in the morning like this...somehow I know this is going to be a familiar sight.

There was even a little bit of snow which made for a fun hour of sledding for the kids while Abby and I took Grandma, Grandpa and Ashley to Monticello.  

After Monticello Bret and the big kids took the Cranes over to Stanton to the Shakespeare theater for A Christmas Carol.  They were able to get the seats on the stage and had such a great time.

Then it was home for more games and some Just Dance on the wii.

The girls also put on a lovely concert while Ashley played the piano.

Zachary built his Lego set all in one day...if 

And it was quite the master piece when he was finished: The Black Pearl

Christmas

Christmas morning started like this....McKenna waking up at 5:36 and waiting patiently until the clock promptly turned to 6:00.  She then proceeded to wake everyone else up and came in to tell us they were ready.  They hate having to gather at the top of the stairs for a picture, but oblige me all the same.

And then the mad dash down the stairs to the stockings begins.  This year there were some large presents unwrapped by the tree that I thought the kids would be going crazy over.   And while they were excited...they really just wanted to get their stockings.  It wasn't what I was expecting, but really funny.

It was an Avengers Christmas for Gavin....all the figures, an Iron Man plan, a costume.  He was in Avenger heaven.

We loved having Grandma and Grandpa Crane here.  And the kids really put some thought into personal gifts they wanted to give them for Christmas.

Zachary got some golf clubs

Abby got the Kindle Paperwhite reader

Grayson was happy with paper.

I don't know how it happened, but I don't have any pictures of McKenna opening presents.  (sorry honey!)  Her big gifts this year was a new bike, wrist walkie talkies, and a soccer backpack.

My girls were in heaven hanging out with Ashley.

Gavin got a little ATV...kid heaven!

It was an absolutely perfect Christmas.  We spent the day in our PJ's.  Had fun playing laser tag.  Played games.  Ate yummy food.  Bret and his dad put together the trampoline from my parents and took down the old one.  We watched It's A Wonderful Life.

It was simply a wonderful, perfect day!!

Grandma and Gavin

 One of Gavin's favorite thing to do these days is color.  We were so happy to have Grandma and Grandpa here for four days.  And that made for a lot of coloring time with Grandma and Gavin.  It seemed like he was always saying, "Grandma, do you want to color with me?"  And she was so sweet and was always saying, "Of course, I'd LOVE to!"

 

Christmas Eve

For Christmas Eve this year we did our Shepherds dinner.  It was fun to share this tradition with Grandma and Grandpa.  Bret prepared a great discussion on the shepherds, we reviewed last year's gift to the Savior and talked about what we were each going to give Him this year.  

After we cleaned up from dinner we opened the new Christmas PJ's and then sibling gifts.  I love doing sibling gifts on Christmas Eve.  The kids are full of so much more gratitude and love for each other.  This year the kids had to use their own money for this.  They either had to save up allowance (which they don't get much so that takes a while) or they had to do extra chores to earn money.  I just loved seeing how generous they were with each other.  

Abby gave Zachary a wii game, although Gavin was just as excited as Zachary was...in fact, in all these pictures you'll see Gavin hovering over everyone.  He was so excited to see how happy people were and if they liked what they got.

Zachary gave McKenna a wipe out wii game.  (And yes, there's Gavin)  Don't let that look of confusion fool you...she was pretty darn excited about it seeing as it is one of her life's goals to be on that show.

Grayson was just loving to eat the wrapping paper.

Gavin gave Abby the board game Dominion.

Can you tell she was over the moon happy about it?  And for that matter so was he!

Grayson gave Gavin a Captain America tank.  (Gray might have had a little help picking that one out!)

After presents we had our Sweedish Rice Pudding tradition and Abby was thrilled to find the nut in her pudding for her first time ever!  And before we new it, it was time to put out cookies and milk for Santa and head to bed!