McKinley Jane and Grant Alan

McKinley entertaining Uncle Tyler with her singing Sandbox from Grandpa Ted and Grandma Julie Playing catch on Christmas morning with Grant's new glove friom Granny and Papa Jack Chad and I opening our stockings McKinley with Granny McKinley with Grandma Julie McKinley in her new robe from Granny

We were so incredibly blessed to have all of the grandparents together to be able to go to Christmas Eve service at CCV. It was such a wonderful service and always helps us to focus on the true meaning of the season.

Thirteen years together and I have to say this was our best Christmas! Chad and I have always opened our gifts separately from everyone else, but this year we went to Melting Pot and requested a private booth so we could open our presents there. We had 3 presents each so we opened them with each course that came out. So much fun and prolonged the fun of Christmas! This will definately be our new tradition!! And I must say Chad earned some major brownie points and brought me up to the 21st century...a tablet, an ipod, and an ipod docking station that I can put in the classroom. My gifts were so lame compared to his...

It's events like this that make me so glad we live in our community! They had Santa Day where, of course, Santa was present and then they had yummy cookies to decorate and a craft! Kids LOVED Santa this year. Each time they saw him they asked for motorcycle (Grant) and mermaid (McKinley) McKinley doing her craft Decorating her cookie!) Grant doing his craft

This year we decided the kids were old enough to really "get" the Polar Express, so early in the month we bought the movie and they watched it nonstop until the day we got to ride the real thing!! In Arizona they have a train they decorates like the polar express and sets it up like the movie. Then Santa comes through and hands all the kids bells. It was so neat! Granny and Papa Jack unfortunately missed it because of the snow, but Grandpa Ted and Grandma Julie got to join us. Before we went to the Polar Express we stopped at the deer farm which was quite an experience! I never knew deer could be so tame! We had a blast and loved all the memories we all will take from this night. Horrible pic but it's the only one we have outside the train I couldn't believe that the deer were so tame that Grant could hug them!

There is no better feeling than having friends you know you can count on in tough times...the ones that love you no matter what. And I love the fact that my kids now have friends that they look forward to seeing and have fun with when they're together. To celebrate Christmas we had some friends over and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon outside, played with candy cane playdough, ate some good food and swapped presents. Sorry to Lauryn and Tyler who were both sick and couldn't make it so they're not in the pics... Tristan opening his racetrack Grant opening his Tangram book...he loves this thing! We finally got them all looking at the camera!! Making volcanoes with playdough