Merry Christmas to me!

Merry Christmas to me! This was my present from Doug. Christmas morning I opened this tiny little present. Inside was a camcorder tape case with a piece of paper in it with this picture of a 18oo (something) pump organ. At the bottom were the words: Coming to your home soon. Merry Christmas! Love Doug. Jeremy and Jo found it at a yard sale, bought it, and decided they really didn't have room for it - so Doug bought it for me. Isn't it so neat! And it really works - gives your legs a workout too!

More Christmas morning part 2

So - I kept hearing that I wasn't keeping my blog updated. Can't say that now. 4 in one day. A record for me. Are you tired of our Christmas yet?

Here is Dani with her rollarblades. Isn't that a happy smile!

Kristi is very excited to get an MP3 player - a 4 GB one.

Jason loves his paintball gun. Watch out everyone.






















Carson isn't sure what is going on - or what to look at next. He was so interested in everything going on - and into everything!

More Christmas morning

EmmaLee enjoys presents too - even wrapped ones. Just something to play with.














Kendall and Matt enjoy their morning.














Jo with a new CD!














Jeremy with his daughter and his little brother.


















Now, here is Doug enjoying being both Dad and Grandpa on Christmas morning. Aren't they cute all together! (Doug is wearing the new hat Matt gave him!)

Christmas morning part 2

When kids get older - stuff just gets too expensive, so they get less presents. Here are Mikel and Matt - sharing their gift left out under the tree from Santa, a 6 pack of IBC rootbeer!















Jeremy, Jo and EmmaLee were able to come over early that morning to open presents before getting together with her family. Santa left them a nice gift!




















One of the gifts Mikel opened was Guitar Hero 3 to go with her playstation 2. It was a hit!














Matt wanted -and got an Ipod - and even the red one he wanted.



















Most of you don't know that Doug is really funny when he watches "Deal or No Deal". He thinks the banker is always low-balling the contestants - and is always figuring out the odds of whether they should keep going or not. So, Santa left him the game to play on TV.

Christmas morning

Here are the kids with their gifts that Santa left unwrapped on Christmas morning. Aren't they cute in their new pj's! Carson like his new truck to ride!



















Dani loves the Littlest Pet Shop things and was happy to get this big playset for them!



















Kristi worked this summer to buy her own Wii. She is very happy to get another controller and game to play!



















Jason loves the Command and Conquer games and got the 3rd one. He was disappointed later though when we realized ou computer graphics card wasn't big enough - that we have to go get another one before he can play the game!



















Smelling good for the ladies is important - right Kendall! He got some "good" cologne - none of that cheap stuff for him!

The before and after of Christmas

I love Christmas! I love the sights and sounds of it all. I love the music and the lights. I love the decorations and the smell of the tree. (Every year Doug tries to talk me into a fake tree and I just haven't been able to do it!) I have a small Santa collection - wish I had more. I love all the different kinds of Santas. This is the Santa's I have in my entryway to my home. The one thing I don't like about Christmas - all the work. Or should I say - all the work I allow it to be. I stress about if my kids are going to like what I get them, stress about getting my packages sent in the mail, making my cards and writing my christmas letter and getting them sent, getting all the treats made for the neighbors and friends. I get so busy with all this stuff - that sometimes I forget to just stop and enjoy it all!


Anyway - here is our house on Christmas - before and after the opening of the presents.





It may look like a lot of presents - but remember, we do have 8 kids, one daughter- in- law and a grandbaby.





The clean-up begins - or should begin anyway. It's a lot of work after Christmas too!

Stunt man

Tuesday was a really hard day for me. It started off with a phone call letting me know a good friend of our family had been killed in a car accident the night before. She had recently just moved from our ward, but the family decided to have our ward do the funeral since she had lived in the ward for over 10 years. The meal will only be for 250 family members. (This is the 3rd funeral in a month that I have had to do as Relief Society President). I had to make a lot of calls that day. I felt like the phone was permanently attached to my ear. At one point - when I was talking to Doug - I could hear Carson in our closet. Oh - oh. Doug had all his hunting stuff still in there - he hadn't had a chance to take care of it. I look in and see Carson. He had pushed over one box and was standing up on the other! I think I have a climber.

Here he is after climbing down. His shirt was so appropriate that day too. It says "I do all my own stunts".












Later that evening as Doug, Matt and were finishing cutting up the elk, Carson decided he was hungry. We keep the cereal in a small cabinet my the table. He has figured out that if he gets a box a cereal, bangs it on the floor, the top will pop open and out comes the cereal. I think I will need to put a lock on the cabinet!



So when I am having a rough day - this little boy just brightens it. I will have to post some pictures of his happy, smiling face.