New Year's Eve

I saw the idea for a New Year's Tree on Pinterest and thought we'd try it out for our family New Year's Eve party/FHE.

Maybe it will become a new tradition???

 The kids helped me to decorate the tree. We stuffed balloons with silly jokes and also placed sparkly icicles, circle garland and noise makers on the tree.

 We topped it off with a Happy New Year hat and 2013 glasses.

 In the evening, we gathered for pizza and treats.

 After dinner, we did the kid gift exchange. Each cousin brought a white elephant gift to give. We sang "Jingle Bells" as they passed the gifts around in a circle. When the song ended, the gift in their lap was theirs.

 The Clawson's had just moved back from Arizona. We were so happy to have their family back in our midst.

Missing Dean and Candice's family though.

 We sent the kids to play, and then the adults did their own white elephant gift exchange.

As midnight approached, we popped the balloons and read the silly jokes. Kyrick was the most entertained..and most entertaining. We would read the joke and then the kids would laugh. As Kyrick figured the joke out, he would laugh extra hard and really get a kick out of it. Sometimes he would admit he didn't get it..but when explained, it was funny all over again.

Taylee 

Treyson 

Kyrick 

Abree 

Audrey 

Grandpa Waite 

Grandma McKinley 

 Lexie & Tyrel

Sydney

Maliah

Minutes before midnight, we turned on the t.v. and watched the ball drop as we counted down from 10. The kids went crazy with noise makers..for the few minutes we adults could stand it...then it was back on the tree for next year. :)

Happy 2013!!!

Christmas Evening

Christmas Day..evening, we gathered at Grandma McKinley's house. We ate snacks and opened gifts.

The younger grandkids received cute Band-aids from Grandma. What kid doesn't LOVE Band-aids???

Each couple received DoTerra essential oils.

Thanks Mom!

Older grandkids received a Nutella snack.

Then it was Grandma McKinley's turn to open gifts.

A picture of Grandma Ison, from Brinton and Amber, brought sweet memory tears.

The purple sign was from Lexie and Tyrel..perfect color, perfect saying.

Tyrel was trying to impress us with his bushy beard growing skills.

Our family gave Grandma a journal...but not just an ordinary journal.

I repurposed a childhood Little Golden Book (had my mom's name written on the inside cover) and a clearanced journal. Took the pages out of the book and took the cover off the journal and bound them together (get it?). A journal blast from the past.

Happy Christmas!!!

Christmas Morning

Gooood Morning!

The kids spent the night in the family room upstairs together.
Jason and I prepared breakfast and brought it up to eat.

We ate our (new) traditional crockpot breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls and orange juice. Yum!

Before we go see what Santa brought, my kids LOVE it when I ask them to line up youngest-to-oldest... not.
But I make them do it any way, because it's tradition!

Everyone headed to their couch or corner.

Jason had been wanting a dashboard holder for his phone. I guess he was on Santa's "nice" list and found one by his stocking.

We each received cereal by our stockings. I got Craklin Oat Bran...yum!

Piggy bakingware with cake mix, frosting and sprinkles...Abree's "gift of learning".

"The Boy Doodle Book" for Treyson's "gift of learning".

Taylee was crossing her fingers, and hoping to receive the book on her wish list, "The Mark of Athena--The Heroes of Olympus book 3". Wish granted..happy Taylee.

Abree's face says it all...

she was excited about getting a new doll (American Girl type). Her name is Ayla and she has beautiful red hair.

Treyson opened pet bedding as a clue to his "want gift".... 

2 turtles!

He named them Scooter and Lucy.

Taylee said she was confident that she would get her "want gift" off her wish list... an i-pod!

She was right.

For Rylee's "want gift" received a charger/radio/speaker unit for her i-pod and some i-tunes gift cards.

Jason gave me a new quilt set for our bed. I appreciate the thought and care he put into coming up with something that he thought I would really like. Thanks Honey!

Each year, as we continue our "3 gift rule", I find myself wondering if it's going to be ENOUGH.

Will the kids be disappointed? Will they focus on scarcity, rather than abundance? Am I scaring them for life? Will they "get it"...and eventually appreciate it?

This year was no exception...I worried, then was once again reminded that it was ENOUGH. The kids were excited and happy. We played together and enjoyed one another's company all morning long.

It was a joyful Christmas morning.