So This Is Christmas

The kiddos waiting to come downstairs on Christmas morning

The stocking were placed on the couch with care.

Here's our tree, with just as many presents as usual.  Maybe next year I'll succeed in cutting back!

We had a great Christmas this year!  I tried (as usual) to cut back on gifts and spending, and I don't know if I succeeded at all, but I do know that we were able to find ways to feel the Spirit and remember the reason for the season.  Chuck's dad and his wife, Sandra, joined us for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.  Christmas Eve I made lasagne and we watched Mr. Kreuger's Christmas and Joy to the World.  Cheyanna was very excited for Santa's visit!  She made sure we set out cookies for Santa, and she wrote him a really cute letter.

 Cheyanna got a guitar from Santa.  She loves to write songs and sing.  She idolizes Taylor Swift, so I think her plan is to learn to play the guitar so she can put her songs to music.  Cheyanna is taking piano lessons, but I guess guitar sounds a lot more fun. 

Cade got Skylanders from Santa

After much debate and consideration, we decided to allow Santa to give Charlie a cell phone for Christmas.  We live too close to the High School for him to be able to ride a bus, but too far to walk when it's 110 degrees (or really cold outside).  So I pick him up from school every day, but his schedule varies, depending on basketball games and such, and my schedule varies at my internship (meetings run late, crises come up, etc).  It was too stressful for me not to be able to get a hold of him when I was running late, or if I needed him to find a ride or walk home.  So Charlie got a cell phone for Christmas, and he is happy to be able to text his friends.  And I am happy to be able to get a hold of him when I need to.  We laid out the ground rules (he gives us the phone every night at 9:30 and we can read through all of his texts), and so far, it is going well. 

 Here's Chuck with his new SKYLINE BASKETBALL shirt that he can wear to Charlie's games. 

Somehow, I didn't get a picture of Carson with his gift from Santa.  Carson got a keyboard, and he has had a blast playing on it, learning new songs, and putting all kids of different sounds together.  Here is Carson opening his stocking.  Carson did a lot of Christmas shopping with me this year, so he got to pick out a couple of his gifts, and he helped me to pick out a lot of his siblings' gifts. 

Charlie opening his stocking

 Chuck's dad (Chuck Sr.) and his wife Sandra. 

Cade with his toy helicopter

This was Cheyanna's FAVORITE gift: a Webkinz frog she named Rylee.  She had 5 frog sons, and was excited to finally have a frog daughter.  :) 

Breaking Dawn

So we went to see Breaking Dawn, and I didn't like it.  I knew I wasn't going to like it because I don't like the storyline.  I didn't like the book.  The movie had a lot of inappropriate stuff and gore, so I don't even want to see the movie ever again.  I guess I kind of feel like I am over Twilight.  Maybe we are growing up.  (:  I'm glad we didn't bother with the midnight showing--we just got together on Saturday morning and saw the movie and then went out to breakfast.  It was fun hanging out with the girls, but I give the movie a big thumbs down!  Not that anyone cares, but there it is anyway.  (:

Carson's Campout

 Carson is 12, so he gets to go on campouts once a month with the boy scouts.  He took a camera along on a campout in December, and here are some pics from camping. 

Thanksgiving

 For Thanksgiving 2011, we had all of Chuck's family over for the day!  Lindsey, CJ, and baby Ivy were visiting from Colorado Springs, and Chuck's mom, dad, and sister Megan (and her family) all live within a two hour drive.  It was fun to have everyone together to eat, talk, laugh, and catch up.  I only had to make the turkey, and everyone else brought all the sides and desserts.  The meal turned out great, and it was a really nice day. 

 The oldest and youngest grandchildren:  Charlie  holding baby Ivy

 We had 18 people there, so half of the kids ate outside on the back porch, and the older kids ate on a table in the front room.  Here are Cade and Cheyanna.  Cade was too busy eating to stop and pose for a picture!

 Grace and Gavin Kendall--our cute cousins.

 Megan, Blythe, and Cheyanna

Here's the whole family!!

I had so much fun snuggling with Ivy.  She is the best behaved baby I have ever seen.  She is so sweet, and she just goes with the flow, and doesn't ever seem to cry.  Plus, she's so stinkin' cute!!!