Have Your Self A Merry little Christmas...

Ho Ho Ho, it's Christmas time again! (boy this year went by quickly)

Our girls were excited to see the big man this year, Ausi liked seeing him from a safe distance.  Mommy had to pay close attention to see what each girl asked for this year.  Addi- a four wheeler like the kind Grandpa has on the farm.  Lexi- boy toys like a castle with a dragon.  Lei- Princesses. Austin was happy just to be given a candy from Santa.

This sign pretty much sums up Mommy's Christmas wish this year.  

First change this Christmas season, purchasing a new Christmas tree!!  If I have 9 ft ceilings, will a 9 ft tree fit?  Yes it will!  Mommy compromised on which tree to get because Daddy compromised on the purchasing of a new Christmas tree.  Why did we need a new tree?  We have a lot of sentiment with our first Hawaiian Christmas tree, it reminds us of our start as a young couple, our Hawaiian roots and the start of our own family traditions.  It's not fancy, most of the decorations are homemade but we love it,.  However, now that the kids are starting to bring home homemade ornaments that they make in school, Mommy really wanted that family centered Christmas tree. You would think I would have taken a picture of it, oh well, just another sign of mommyhood.

Other family traditions continue, gingersnap cookie faces (cuz men take so much work, but some day we will venture that way).  The girls have fun working their own icing bags and wear their new Christmas aprons.

Next my little helpers make Christmas turtles.  Pretzel, rollo, pecan- Yum!  

Getting the kids ready for church on my own does not always allow time for photo's so I am so glad that we were able to take a few pics of the kids in their Christmas Attire before they changed back into play clothes.

With some cousins.

I love a child's own intuition.  While the other girls were at school my little Lexi Lou was busy playing.  It wasn't until she called for me to come see what she made before I realized what she had been doing.  She had gathered up Santa and his reindeer and brought them to the little toy nativity so they could see the baby Jesus.  It was a beautiful and endearing act of a child with a tender impact.  

Cute matching pj's and my every growing girls.

Addi and some school mates down town decorating their class tree.  Their first grade class was asked to decorate one of the trees downtown that they light for the Holidays.  The theme for their tree this year was 'a cowboy Christmas'.  Mommy donated material for a rag tie garland and the kids made snowflakes with each of their names on them and then fastened them with close pins.  It turned out really cute.

Mommy at the ugly sweater party where her sweater turns her into a Christmas tree, sort of.

"Santa Clause is coming to town..."  And so is cuteness and Lei preforms in a Christmas dance number at her dance academy.  All three girls are participating in dance this year, this just happens to be Lei's first year and she loves it.  Once again Mommy somehow missed getting pics of the other two girls routines, something having to do with managing a camera and a squirmy baby perhaps?  Next time I will have to do better seeing how cute these photos turned out.

Ho Ho, Santa and his reindeer!

Some times the Christmas season is to much and you just have to take a nap.

More Christmas turtle action in the kitchen.  What happened to the first batch?  It will forever remain a mystery ;)

Mommy loves making gingerbread houses (daddy thinks making them is a form of torture).  I think it's because my Grandma made a gingerbread house for my family every year.  The roof would be covered in mini marshmallows, the chimney would be made with stacked licorice allsorts, then there would be M&M's, spearmint gum drops, and other yummy candies.  We were always allowed to have a candy off the candy house every night after dinner.  I think this is where I get my love (and I mean love) for stale crunchy marshmallows and licorice allsorts.  

In keeping with tradition I taught my girls how to stick the marshmallows on the roof, I didn't have allsorts but we improvised and made a chimney with some gummies.  We had so much fun and the girls did great job helping decorate.  It turned out to be a wonderful gingerbread house.

There is something about this innocence of children as Lei also bring's her toys to meet baby Jesus.  Her's of course involved princesses.  What beautiful tender moments we were able to see this Christmas season as our girls start to understand Christmas.

Checking our lists twice and trying to be nice, the kids are rearing to take their letters to Santa's mailbox.

Lexi with her preschool teacher for her polar express party.

  

Caught in the act, but that's why we made it.  Funny to see what candies the kids liked and wouldn't eat.  Hard marshmallows- eat!

Spearmint gum drops- wont eat.

Addison's first grade class polar express party that Mommy helped with and brought two little helpers with her.  They loved seeing their big sister's school and participated in the crafts.

After the party, Mommy dropped off Lexi and Lei to their preschools and found her self thinking that she had no kids in the car with her and that she really needed to get some groceries.  The only dilemma was that she was still in her pj's from the party.  

Hmm...go home, change and pick up Austin or go to the grocery store in her jammies....  

Lets face it, Mommy was still better dressed than half the people at the grocery store. (welcome to Idaho)

According to Addi, this is Santa's brother that came to visit us at the ward party.

Christmas Eve nap.  So much anticipated excitement, these two had to take a nap before dinner and cousin fun.

New Christmas Jammies that were sent to the kids from their two Christmas friends, Eldon our Elf on the Shelf and Snickerdoodle our families new little reindeer that comes with Eldon some days and bring the kids Naughty or Nice report cards from Santa.  It was fun every morning for the kids to run and find where Eldon was sitting that day and to see if Snickerdoodle had joined him.  Lei would call them Alvin and Sticker noodle.  She is adorably three.

Mommy enjoyed the reinforcement Eldon and Snicker doodle provided in fear that a child's bad behavior might be reported back to Santa.  It's interesting how Santa's report cards listed specific previous actions on them.  Thank you Eldon and Snickerdoodle for being apart of our families's Christmas traditions.

Saying goodbye to Eldon and Snickerdoodle till next year.

Christmas morning...

Christmas mess...

Strange how the kids received so much for Christmas yet they the bubble wrap is the toy of choice.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all good night (this mommy needs a nap)!