Let's make Christmas last all year!

What a fun Christmas we had! There won't be many photos at this point because my camera completely and totally died on Christmas morning... sorry boys! But, hopefully Sheri will email me a few!

The weekend before Christmas we had a big dinner and party with the whole family, including the crew that came down from Idaho. What fun to watch all eight kids open gifts and play with each one, or try on their new clothes. It was great! Troy and I gave them a bunch of games for the whole family to play, and they all seemed very excited about them all - which made both Troy and I very happy! Tanya gave Troy a gift certificate for a quilt of any color or pattern.... which he is very excited about! Tanya makes great quilts! And of course, when you are trying to get 8 kids and 2 adults out of the house, things get left behind. Tanya felt very bad, that the gift she was most excited to give (for me) got left behind in Idaho, but they will be back in a couple weeks and she promised to bring it then. I thought it was very sweet of her to get me something... and I look forward to seeing what it is. In the meantime, I will just have to make sure Troy picks good colors for the quilt! Haha!

Christmas Eve brought the second evening of festivities at Hickman House. After Troy and I braved the blizzard to go pick up Grandpa Hansen, we all had a big dinner.... yummy turkey and ham. And of course lots of pie. It was all delicious! After dinner we all listened as Colleen read the Christmas Story from the Bible. Then Troy read the family letter to Santa from 5 years before, along with the 5 year predictions that everyone had made. It was very fun and entertaining to hear what everyone thought they'd be doing right now. Troy's said, still stuck in Utah but planning to leave in a year or two.... which is just about the same thing that we both have been saying for about a year and a half. Haha! So for the next 5 years, Troy predicted he would have a job that he enjoys... which would also make me very very happy! And I predicted that I would be married (preferably to Troy). We all got a very good laugh out of that! Haha! So aside from Troy and I being married, we both thought we'd either be expecting or just recently had baby number 2. We'll see in 5 years how accurate we were. :)

After everyone left on Christmas Eve, Troy and I went up the graveyard to visit Troy's Dad and leave him some poinsettias. Luckily, Troy found the right headstone on the first try... a bit of a challenge in 6 inches of snow. :) After that, Colleen, Troy and I changed into our PJs and put on a Christmas movie and finished wrapping gifts for everyone. Aleusha and Maika were there to help of course, and as soon as we got out the presents for them and the other dogs, their interest was peaked. Maika wouldn't leave the tree for the rest of the night and laid there guarding her gifts. It was hilarious!

Christmas morning brought a little more snow and a beautiful sunrise. We bundled up in our PJs and coats, and headed over to Tina and Darren's so that we could watch Avery open all her gifts, and have breakfast. Avery got a big girl bed and everything to do with babies... a doll with a car seat, a doll with a crib, a stroller, and another baby doll too! And of course Arty and Chubbs (their two dogs) got bones and toys from Troy, me, and all 3 dogs. :)

After a yummy breakfast we headed back to Hickman House for more presents! We opened our stockings and all the gifts from each other. Tina and Darren gave Troy and I gift certificates for dinner and movies tickets... we are very excited about that! We bought them a fun game and a book for Avery— the Eric Carlyse(sp?) Head to Toe book— which she loved and we immediately read a few times acting out all the moves the animals make. So fun!

Colleen spoiled both Troy and I, along with everyone else, of course. She did a great job on my stocking, filling it with white chocolate and soft comfy socks. She also bought me a very cute shirt and some adorable black pants for when troy and I go out to the theater. Troy got lots of jeans, which he desperately needed since all of his have way too many holes. We bought Colleen a new electric can opener, a CD she'd been wanting, and a fun new game. She loved everything and we were very happy to hear we had done so well in our selections.

Troy spoiled me too! He got me the cutest new golf shoes that I can't wait to try out! He also got me the cutest sweater... soft and comfy, orange, with a hood! All my favorite things! And of course, a gorgeous brown velvet and silk scarf that I just absolutely love!

Troy's favorite gift of all was the donation that I made in his name to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary - and that was also my favorite gift to give. :) He also got a new electric razor, the new Chris Botti CD, and a movie. Oh, and I almost forgot - Santa brought us Opera tickets for the rest of the season. :)

The early afternoon brought naps and a freezing cold walk at the park so that the girls could play in the snow. I think it was about 15 degrees outside that afternoon! Haha! Troy and I both are already looking forward to a much warmer Christmas in California next year!

Later that afternoon, everyone came back over, including Tommy, Sheri and TJ. We then opened all the rest of the gifts... they gave everyone AAA memberships, which we were all very excited about. And they also got me a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble, which I am very excited to go spend! :) We bought them some fun games... Cranium and Yahtzee. Yahtzee is Sheri's favorite and they were missing several of the pieces from their old set so she was very excited to have a new one.

After that we had dinner and tried out the new game we had bought for Colleen..... I can't recall the name of it at the moment, but it was very entertaining!

And just a couple more photos....
Troy and the three girls on Christmas morning... Maika guarding the presents under the tree.... while dreaming of chew toys and dog bones! :)
Maika hording all the gifts....
Aleusha lounging on the couch...