Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

 Every morning in December right after breakfast we ran to pull the slip on the advent calendar from our cousins. Dec.24 said to put together a nativity. There was also a package that came with it. Here is Spencer opening the package.

 It's a nativity!

A beautiful, homemade nativity. Wow!

 All set up on our mantel. We've now put away our Christmas decorations, but something won't let me put this away. I may keep it up the whole year to remember the love of our Savior we felt through Seth and Kira's special family. It makes me tear up just writing this.

In the afternoon I ran next door to invite our neighbor to our children's nativity performance and when I got back Alexis was in tears because she had accidentally broke this snowman cookie jar. It was special because 7 years ago when we first moved here someone did 12 Days of Christmas to us and had given this to us. I encouraged her to take many pictures of it for the scrapbook to remember it by.

A Secret Santa brought us all these presents and a delicious Christmas Eve dinner.

A short time later someone else left a tote of presents in our driveway.

The tree before the Secret Santa presents.

The tree after the addition of presents. Wow! We've never had so many presents before! 

I usually like things small and simple. I'm not a "stuff" person and with 10 people in a 3 bedroom house I don't like the kids to get a lot of stuff either. However, I realized this Christmas was not for me, it was for the children. They needed to feel the love of their friends and family even if we didn't know who it was giving us all these gifts. They needed to know what it feels like to be on the receiving end so some year they can pay it forward. They had a wonderful Christmas and were overwhelmed with how many people showed them love.

Caroling to Ray's house across the street. We do this every Christmas Eve and this year he took a picture of it. The nice thing this year was that Christmas Eve was in the 70's!

Performing the nativity for Ray and Yvonne

Looking through the piles of bubble pipes that was on our doorstep for "11 Pipers Piping"

Lining up Christmas morning in the girls' room to go downstairs. (Makenna is behind Kaitlyn)

 Nathan opening the rocket making kit Alexis made for him.

Alexis demonstrating how to put the tiny cardboard rocket on the launch pad. Nathan is holding the controller. 

 Sam loves the candy cane and puzzle he got from Secret Santa.

 Alexis with a special book from grandparents in ...where else? Florida!

 Nathan opening his present from me. The money was actually from a ward member to help with Christmas expenses. I wrapped it up and gave him a coupon for a date to get glasses. His broke a couple of months ago. He's been going without most of the time but wears one lens for driving or when he wants to see things like opening presents. :) (His other eye is almost blind anyway and glasses don't correct for it.)

After lunch I enjoyed a nice walk with this cute guy and several other kids. We took walkie-talkies and talked to kids at home. We got 4 walkie-talkies for Christmas and it was so fun talking to kids in various places.

 Alexis playing with the new arrow she got for her homemade bow.

 Samuel trying to put his shoe back on (he loves shoes!) and Makenna on the porch after the walk.

 Watching out the upstairs window for our 12 Days of Christmas Santa to come. This was the last night and we really wanted to get a glimpse of him. Every night he came around 6:30 so we sat there and waited and waited. Finally I put the little kids to bed (they usually go to bed at 6:30) and then he came just after 8. Still don't know who he is but we're sooo grateful! It was so much fun getting door-ditched every night. I wish we could do it again.

Just before bed Nathan used Lexi's rocket making kit to make himself another rocket. Here it's about to liftoff the launch pad.

It was a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

Thank you to everyone who made it so much fun! It was a Christmas we'll never forget.