Christmas Eve & Day

Quinn and Jeff came to Utah for Christmas so we decided to have Christmas with the Calls. Nick had to work both days so I took the kids to the Calls for Christmas eve and Christmas day dinner.

We had a yummy feast of Orange Chicken with rice, Spinach and artichoke dip, veggies and dip, little smokies, etc...lots of good food!


Jeff and Preston rolled up Quinn in a blanket and tied her up, but when they tried to tie up Preston....he didn't like that too much. lol. he can dish it out but he can't take it!


Jeff was really sweet and let the kids play with his ipad. They watched videos and played games on it. it was a BIG hit!!



After we ate I let the kids open their Christmas Eve gifts...Ashleigh got 2 heart ornaments.


and Preston got 2 train ornaments.

When we got home, the kids and I set out the treats for Santa and the reindeer (Ashleigh left a note for Santa)

and then i got the kids to bed and waited for Nick to get home from work at midnight. Then we played Santa and set out all the gifts under the tree and set up the stockings.



We went to bed around 2am and the kids woke us up just before 8am. Nick had to be a stinker, of course, and take his time coming down stairs. He likes to keep the kids waiting in anticipation! It drives them and me nuts! :-) But, it's tradition! :-)

Santa left the kids a thank you note for the treats they left out.

He drank all the milk....
and most of the treats....


We always have the kids open their stockings first.....


And then it was PRESENT TIME!!! yay! :-)









Nick got me new pots and pans!! (finally!) I've been wanting new ones for a couple years....this was my favorite gift from him-along with a print of Calla Lilies he had made for me by a friend of our family.

The last gift Ashleigh opened was a Wii game...but we don't have a Wii...She thought maybe Santa gave the game to the wrong house. Nick did the "Christmas Story" thing where he says--Ashleigh, I think I see another present hiding over there behind the table...go see what it is!" Here's the video of her finding and opening the gift. :-)



Santa came thru and got the kids a Wii...something they had both been asking for for over a year! Yay for Santa!!!


After Christmas was over Ash helped clean up the trash, and the kids put away their gifts and then they played Wii for a bit and Nick and I took a nap... I wasn't feeling well so I slept a long time. Nick stopped by his parents house before he had to leave for work. And the kids and I went over for Christmas dinner--ham, Grandma Lowe's potatoes, etc. One of my favorite meals!!! Preston was being a little brat the whole night though and I wasn't feeling well and I was completely emotional and couldn't handle him, so we left earlier than I would have liked...

Before we left though the kids and I opened our gifts from the Calls. The kids' favorite gifts were their Pillow Pets! They LOVE them and take them everywhere with them and sleep on them at night. It was a perfect gift!


I got a new pair of earrings, a cookbook, some spatulas, some socks, etc...but my favorite gift of all was this painting that Mama Call did for me of Venice, Italy. It brought me to tears as soon as I opened it! She said that sometimes we need to visualize what we want in order to get there. I've been wanting to go to Venice since I was about 10 or 12 years old. What a perfect and amazing gift! I love it and cherish it and I know I'll get there someday!!!

This picture doesn't do the painting justice!!!

It was a wonderful Christmas and one that I know we'll always remember!!!