Ammon got a race track from Santa. It wasn’t the one he asked Santa for, but he decided that was okay he still likes it!

Ammon loves his punching bag, now if only I can get him to ONLY hit the punching bag!

Ammon was very occupied with comparing what he got to what he wrote on his Christmas list. He constantly made remarks like, "I didn’t ask for this!" or "This is exactly what I wanted!" There was a good mix of both, thank goodness!

The world stops for Ammon when the puppies come out. He stops playing and doing everything so he can hold them and bug them!

New clothes were NOT on Ammon’s list, but since they are spider-man he says he will keep them!

Kalixta is the slowest unwrapper ever! She took her time on every present and then looked at it until it was her turn again. Maybe next year I won’t wrap her stuff!
 
Her and Britain both got their own crayons and books to learn their letters! They are so happy they get to go to school now just like Ammon, Nik, and Zoe!

Kalixta loves anything small and anything with princesses, so this is perfect for her!

And her teddy bear, of course! I am not a stuffed animal person. I think they waste space, but all my kids LOVE them! I think I am out numbered!

Kalixta would live in her new Dora outfit if I let her! Great pick Mom!

This was Britain’s "best Christmas EVER!"  Britain is very extreme right now. Everything the the best or the funnest or the worst. She really did love Christmas though. She liked opening every present and got everything she wanted!

All three of the girls had Island Princess Barbie on their Christmas list. It was the only thing on Kalixta’s list! But they all got what they wanted!

Britain loves taking pictures with her camera phone. She thinks it is so funny that the Boys look like princesses when she takes their picture!

Britain is such a poser when taking pictures. She will tilt her head or move her hands and then say take this one Mom, now take this one too! Here is my future model in her new clothes!

Ari’s favorite thing for Christmas was the candy! She woke up after all the presents were opened so she came in and took any candy she found! She really didn’t open any presents. She sat on my lap as I opened them all. She got her own cell phone and her own set of keys!

After she watched me open hers she had a lot of fun with everyone else’s presents. She played with Britain’s present…

…she stole all the stuffed animals. The pink elephant is hers,but she had to have them all!

Finally I got her to color with her crayons, but they weren’t designed very good and the crayon comes out too easy. But she likes Zoe’s crayons better anyway!

Ari got a new bunny bath towel. She likes it so much she carries it around after her bath for a couple hours!

She got a few new outfits too. I love the yellow on her. The gum was in Adam’s stocking, but I needed bribery! She is so hard to get good pictures of. Any tips from my awesome photography friends??!!

We had a great Christmas watching all the kids enjoy their Christmas.

We have loved getting cards and reading what is going on with our friends! We have enjoyed the season to the fullest! We even got lots of fun stuff. I was way surprised and ecstatic to get a new camera. It is a Canon PowerShot S5IS. I have had sooo much fun using it, now I just need better photography skills and an eye like Tara or Cherie!! I got lots of yummy treats, and I am also smelling very good. Adam bought me his favorite perfume, Obsession by Calvin Klein! AND I got a new Nativity from Kenny and Marci. SO now I have three! An official collection!

Adam got himself a couple remote control helicopters and has had tons of fun flying them!

Adam got water color paints so he is all ready for some art lessons from Michelle!
For dinner we decided to go to the Golden Corral (because Adam forgot to pick up the ham. He he) with the Johnsons. Only this year the Golden Corral was closed along with many other restaurants. We ended up going to a teppan place, where they cook in front of you. They kids had a great time and I got sushi! Yahoo! It was really great and we always have fun with the Johnson Family!


So there’s our Christmas in a big nut shell! Hope your’s was just as special!

I am going to go back a little to Christmas Eve because we had such a great night. This is the first year we have been all by ourselves for Christmas. We didn’t really want to spend it all by ourselves so we went and crashed at the Johnson Family’s house. And we had a blast!

The kids acted out the nativity while Adam read it from the scriptures. It was so funny to see the kids want to be certain people and then want to switch half way through the play. It did not go perfect (gosh how could it with 10 kids 10 and under!) but it was so fun.
Here is Mary, Joseph, and the shepards. Yes, that is a tinker bell Shepard!

Here’s the gang including sweet Lauren girl being a sheep, and a teddy bear that was a gift to baby Jesus!

And here’s everybody!

Each child opened a present, which was pj’s. This is a really cute tradition that I think we will continue. So here is everyone in their new jammies.

Thanks Mom for the cute pj’s! Ariana’s were a bit too big. She looked like she was walking on her knees all night! It was cute, cute, cute!

After tons more fun and yummy food we went home around 1:00 am and put out milk and cookies for Santa. Zoe even wrote him and note thanking him for all the presents and telling him to have a good Christmas. Ammon made the green placemat in school especially for Santa’s cookies!

Finally Adam and I made it too bed at 3:00 am. This is what it looked like after Santa came!

We decorated sugar cookies Sunday evening. This is as creative as I get, but I think they are cute. Here’s the lot of them, minus all the ones we ate, of course!

While Adam and I were out last night Kenny, Marci and Marie made ginger bread houses with the kids! The kids had a great time and the results looked yummy!

Click on the picture to see!

Thanks Guys! I am so grateful for wonderful baby-sitters and their great ideas! This is definitely a new Christmas tradition!

Monday we went to the Salt Lake Temple to check out the lights. WOW! They were amazing!  I mean, that doesn’t even cover the beauty that was there. And the spirit is so sweet and pure! It was well worth the trip and all the cold fingers! Here’s a few pictures from the trip, taken by Michelle. Thanks again Michelle!!

Nikolas has matured so much this year it is amazing. Last year he struggled with everything in school, math, reading, spelling, you name it, except p.e. This year he is at the TOP of his math class. He is reading at a fifth grade level. He is not in trouble with his teacher. He is not "sick" every morning. The changes he has made this year are an answer to my prayers and I am so very grateful. He is still obnoxious, but I’ve notice most 10 years old are. So I can deal with that (for a while;) Hee, Hee! His teacher is wonderful and she loves him! She has perfect incentives for him and teaches a way he learns! I know that makes a huge difference too. 

The greatest thing happened, tangible proof to him that he is doing great! Nikolas is Super Student!

He got a packet full of free food at different places, perfect for him! He is so excited! I am so proud of him.

Another thing that has helped him this year is learning to play the clarinet and piano. Music is so good for the brain! Tuesday night he had a Christmas band concert. He sat behind the tallest person on the stage and I couldn’t see him at all, but I could hear him. He said he squeaked a lot. Guess he needs to practices more! He did great and I am lucky to be his Mom!