Christmas Day...

We opened our traditional Christmas Eve jammies.

Jer and I were worried that Bode would try to sneak downstairs early. So Jer rigged a booby trap. Fishing wire that rang by our bed when anyone tried to go over the baby gate at the top of the stairs. The bell rang at 12:00. He dashed back into his room. I came to check on him. He stuttered and asked me if that was so he'd trip down the stairs.

Happy girl experiencing a Christmas as a two year old.

Loving Christmas morning. I love how magical it all is.

All she wanted was an easybake oven. She has told everyone that she got it. I love this picture. Completely un-posed just pure Christmas present joy.

We spent the rest of the day at the Brooks's house. We are lucky to have family to spend the day with.  Every year the Brooks's hide 2 pickle ornaments in the tree, find a pickle, get $20 bucks. Jared and I found the pickle :) Jeremiah had the whole day off. It was really nice to spend the whole holiday with him.

Bode's Christmas Post...

This christmas eve I got p-jays. I had to go asleep. I went right  to sleep. I was so excited. At 12:00 I woke up. I went to go over the baby gate, a bell rang! I ran into my bed. In the morning at 6:00 we opened up presents. From Santa I got Skylanders swap force. I got christmas money and some other cool stuff.  

Christmas Eve...

I worked really hard to get everything all together before Christmas Eve so that I could just enjoy the day. Most years Jer takes the kids out all morning so I can clean, run to the store and wrap the presents. I made sure all of that was done and it was great! We went on a hike all morning. We went out to pick up Jer's trail camera. It wasn't the an easy hike but the kids were troopers. I was afraid someone was going to end up covered in cactus, but we lucked out. No injuries. It was very steep. I carried Piper on my back the whole way. She thought it was really fun to fling her head back and forth behind me. That was fun... she only made me loose my balance once. Of course it was on the steepest part...

After wearing us all out in the morning we came home, took naps and got ready to spend the evening at the Brooks's home. We ate food and played. Bode begged to go home to sleep so Santa could come!

Traditions...

There are few things that I feel are necessary to have a successful Christmas. We must have biscuits and gravy, watch a Christmas Story and eat cinnamon rolls. 

Well Jeremiah is not a fan of biscuits and gravy. We almost always had this on Christmas morning after all the presents were open. I tried to keep this one going but again, Jer is not a fan. So I have decided to make this out Christmas Eve breakfast! Yum!

We didn't own the movie. Normally we would have watched it nonstop on TBS. We don't have cable anymore so I needed to buy it. I was going to buy it at the beginning of December but just forgot. So 2 days before Christmas I just figured I'd go get it, nope, not so much! It was sold out at walmart. I was limited on time so I couldn't go to any other store than Fry's by our house. They were out! :( I search through all the dvd's and it was gone. I went back to get powdered sugar (for our cinnamon rolls) and there was one copy sitting with the powdered sugar! It was meant to be!

Watching out movie eating :)

The kids really watched the movie this year. Piper even laughed when Scott Farkus came on the screen.

Christmas Sunday...

I love the Sunday that is around Sunday. I love singing Christmas music and hearing the story of Christ birth.

I just wish Piper like to sit and enjoy sacrament meeting too...

She kinda would rather roam the hall or scream then listen.

The kids got new outfits from Grandpa Alex for christmas. Bode loves is suit!

Temple lights...

For the Merrill family Christmas get together this year we went to the temple to see the lights, then back to a hotel for pizza and playing. It was a great way to spend the evening with family.

Missing the Papa's

Good looking group of kids!

Blurry pic but we were laughing. When did my little niece turn into a young lady?

We were also able to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday! Happy Birthday Dad!

Makes a mamma happy when the older brother takes care of younger siblings.

Little gifts...

This year I just really did not want to bake neighbor gifts. Seemed like too much work. So I bought hand soap and attached a cute printable. The kids loved running around to our neighbors.

Party earrings...

Jer took the kids Christmas shopping for me  the week before Christmas.  Laine bought me some awesome, big reindeer earrings. She couldn't wait to give them to me at Christmas. She said I need to wear them to all the Christmas parties. 

I wore them to her party. She showed everyone her present to me. Sweet Laine Jo!

Elf on the Shelf...

Our elf, Cody, came back on December first. He doesn't cause too much trouble around our house. 

This particular day he watched the kids make their wish lists. Later he took the lists back to Santa.

He brought us cocoa and asked us to take him to see the lights.

He really seemed to like the tree.

He even followed us across the valley. I thought the kids would be really amazed that he followed us, can't say they were super impressed. Piper really like the elf in our house. She called him Babeee! She would find him everyday and shout Babee!

Photo a day...

I like to do photo a day on instagram. I don't really know why, I just like to do it. These are a bunch of photos from December that don't fit in any other post.

You know how people always say you will regret not doing that or you'll wish you had done that when you were younger. Well the piano is one of those things for me. I wasn't really every greatly talented at the piano. Still can't play when people sing but I enjoy playing it. It has been fun to have a piano in out house. Even if its just plunking out a few hymns. My moms sent down a christmas book for me. I used to play a few songs out of it when I was younger. 

Harry is a picky cat when it comes to water. He prefers it to  come straight from a faucet. He waits outside the shower so he can lick the beads of water off the door. He could have cared less about outside in the summer. He knew it was too hot. Now that it is cool he wants out there. He comes running when her hears a door open. We have thought a few times that we lost him when a door was carelessly left open. Laine was nearly in tears. Luckley each time we thought we lost him he was just sleeping somewhere.

We shopped online this year for christmas. It was fantastic.

I had been doing so good with limiting my treats until one day these bags of candy just jumped in my cart. Its been down hill since then...

Simple joys...

I moved Piper to the 3rd row. She was rather confused. She likes it now because she love to sit by "Nanee". 

Bubble baths are so much fun first thing in the morning.

Ward party...

Jeremiah had to work and Aaron was at a football game so Lee came to our ward party thing year. It was nice to not have to go alone. We ate food and eventually ended up in the nursery room watching kids listening to the program across the hall. 

The kids got to sit on the big guys lap.

Bode asked for Skylanders Swap force.

Laine asked for an Easy Bake Oven,

Piper just cried.

One more month as a 4 year old...

We dropped Bode off at school today. He has been riding his bike with friends everyday but it was too cold this morning. Laine was really excited to see all the kids at his school getting dropped off. She told me next year that she would get to go too. Broke my heart a little. She is getting so big and beautiful. Can we freeze time for just a moment?

Laine and Piper were really excited to figure this out!

Let the December whirlwind begin...

After driving back from Pinetop the kids were ready for Christmas!

We took down all the fall decor and drug out all the Christmas boxes. They were dancing around the room with excitement. I let them have at the tree.

They love the train!

Decorated in the front and at tree height. The perfect tree ;)

That night our elf Cody came back from the north pole to check on us. The kids wrote their letters to Santa and Cody took them back. Hopefully Santa got them!

Jer hurt his knee on duty so I got to climb the ladder to hang lights this year.

Happy cat...

Harry missed us while we were in Pinetop. He was happy to have us back. Wouldn't leave us alone.

Thanksgiving Day...

Thanksgiving day was full of family, cooking, eating, cleaning, napping and a movie.

The perfect Thanksgiving if you ask me.

The feast!

Real men do dishes :)