Even though we were very good this year with our budget, spending a full 50% less than last year (which I know many of us are doing!), we have to give a very big thank you to our wonderful family who helped with the kids' wish lists! Since we expected Emerson would be home by now, she also had many presents beneath the tree... Dawson graciously helped unwrap them and cannot wait for her to come and play with him! :)
Matt and I decided not to get any gifts for each other this year - we are getting the BEST gift anyways, just a little late! - but we did get our annual Snowbuddies figurine to commemorate the addition of one more family member in 2008. Isn't it amazing that we have added one more snowman every year for 5 years? We are very, very blessed! (Click the pictures to make them larger)
I just love Emerson's snowperson - sitting up there on the top, a look of joy, arm thrown up in victory. Finally, a family complete.
As luck would have it, we had 3 children sick throughout Christmas Eve with a nasty stomach virus - we spent the night putting toys together, doing last-minute wrapping, organizing, baking sugar cookies and cleaning up vomit from Parker, Macy and Dawson - ah, life with children! :)
Here are some pictures from our amazing day!
Five stockings.
The spread!
A cottage for Macy (thanks, Bethany, for the tip on Amazon's sale!!)
Table and chairs, just our size!
Thanks, Grandma! (ahem... I mean Santa! ^_~)
Digging in!
A birthday present from Santa? Cade *loves* the movie "Shark Boy and Lava Girl" and of course, wanted a Shark Boy costume. And of course, that costume does not exist. BUT we did find a woman who makes custom costumes and told Cade maybe he could get it for his 5th birthday in February because it would take a long time to make. Well, she was very fast and we couldn't resist the element of surprise!
Since half of our clan was sick on Christmas day, we had to postpone Christmas dinner and instead had a delicious meal of Saltine crackers, plain Cheerios and a few sips of Gatorade. Thankfully, we enjoyed a REAL meal the next night! :)
