Our excited kids woke up at 5am on Christmas day!
Brenna was sick with a cold and we didn't want to wake her up, so we sent them back to bed a couple times. Then we resorted to handing them a laptop and letting them play until 6:30 when Brenna and Sterling woke up.
We started our Christmas morning with a family prayer in Mom and Dad's room and seeing what we gave to the Savior to celebrate his Birthday. We have a white stocking hanging in our house all of December and everyone gives gifts to the Savior and writes them down on paper and puts them in the stocking. On Christmas morning the first stocking we empty is the Savior's stocking to see what the Soulier family gave Him for Christmas.It's a sweet time together. It was fun, now that the kids are getting older, to see what they think of to do for Jesus. We also gave a few gifts as a family for the first time this year, and it was wonderful to do together.
We had some great kids this year!
Santa came to our house!
I love the most exciting half hour of the year when the kids come running down the stairs Christmas morning!
We put up wrapping paper and they rip through it as they run to see their stockings. :)
Santa knows the kids well.
Trevor got the bow and arrow he was eyeing in the magazine and Ryan got a super cool watch just like he wanted.
Santa brought Brenna a fun Elephant learning toy.
Santa brought Ellie cute new slippers. :)
Sterling had been talking about getting black cowboy boots from Santa for over a month, and he wasn't disappointed.
My favorite part of Christmas day is when the kids exchange gifts with each other.
We had the kids draw names and get a nicer gift this year (all the small gifts when they got something for everyone were cluttering the house).
They saved up money for a few months and
were so excited about the gifts they picked out.
Ellie got Sterling an Octonauts play set.
Super fun and thoughtful! A home run, he loved it.
Ryan got Trevor his first big Lego set!
He tackle hugged him after. :) It was awesome.
Trevor gave Ryan an awesome Rocket set!
It launches over 1000 feet in the air!
He had earned his first $30 dollars and spent it all on Ryan's gift.
Ellie got dance ribbons and a twister dance rave from Brenna so they can dance together.
Sterling gave Brenna a new purse with a "smartphone" (because she asks for Mom's a hundred times a day), and a little camera inside (with the car keys from Santa). She also got a shopping cart, so all she needs now is a credit card and she's ready for a shopping trip!
Time for presents from Mom and Dad!
The kids all picked out their own wrapping paper which is fun and makes it so we don't have to label anything too.
Oh, what's in here?
New dining dishes and linens!
Sterling opened an awesome new cowboy hat to go with the boots Santa brought him!
And to go with his new spring horse, Lucky!
Love that dynamite grin!
Lucky had a turn in the hat. :)
We start with the youngest and take turns opening gifts one at a time.
It helps us take time to enjoy every present.
Trevor got a guitar!
He made up the funniest songs all afternoon on Christmas day sitting on the porch of the playhouse.
Ellie captured some video on her Ipod touch from around the corner. Hilarious.
Ryan is super excited to draw the biggest dragons and knights he ever has drawn on his jumbo paper with his new art set!
Ellie will be designing her own new dancing diva clothes line. :)
Mom and Brenna opened new helmets to go to with their new bike and baby bike seat!
Rob got new license plate frames and a car care kit for Blue Lightening. :)
The big three opened their next gift at the same time since they all got new
Kindle Readers!
They've already spent hours reading on them, and we are excited about a new easy way to access books!
Sterling also has new art supplies!
Brenna also loves Lucky.
Sterling loved the new Planes movie that Santa brought, and was excited to get new Planes toys and a Pilot hat (he loves hats) as well.
Trevor thought that these Zoob building toys were
his big present and was unnecessarily disappointed. ;)
POGO STICK
for our Ryan who always has extra expendable energy.
Ellie is interested in doing more sewing and now she has her own kit to sew with.
Brenna won't half to get the glass Nativity "baby" anymore. She has her own.
Sterling had such a cute comment when he saw the Lightening McQeen race car set he wanted from the store, "It's just the one I wished!"
Trevor's last small, little disappointing gift was a card that said, "Close Your Eyes."
Oh! That wasn't my big gift after all! :)
A new Mountain Bike....with gears like Ryan's!
Hours of Lego Mania!
Long awaited and longed for American Girl "Just Like Me" Doll!
The one with caramel hair and blue eyes, just like our beautiful Ellie.
In October Rob and I went to the temple together. He pulled me over to see a painting of the Sacred Grove and told me he wanted one like that to hang in our house. Little did he know I chuckled to myself because it was already wrapped in my closet for him for Christmas! (Score! Yes! Fist pump, confirmation of points received. ;)
He had no idea. :)
He also got some new exercise equipment and an exercise bike!
The kids had fun playing with toys for an hour or two before Trevor took his bike out in the backyard for a test drive and discovered the playground. :)
They were so excited!! It was awesome.
The rest of the day we worked on the playset, bounced on the pogo stick, talked to family members on the phone, ate too much chocolate, and watched new movies. :)
Trevor and Brenna and I tried out our new bikes too!
Brenna loved it!
Trevor was so glad he didn't have to wait for me at stop signs because I was running with the jogging stroller, I could keep up with my new bike!
I can't wait to go riding with Rob and the whole family too. :)
It was a magical, wonderful Christmas.
We feel very blessed and grateful most of all for
Heavenly Father's gift of his Son.
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013!!
