Merry Christmas!

Christmas morning started with the girls sleeping in!  Yay!...kind of.  Our church was at 9:00 am, so if we wanted to have any of our present time before that, sleeping in wouldn't help much.  But I told Anisten before Christmas came that she would most likely only get to open one present and then we'd have to go to church, but then she'd get to open the rest after that.  So, Aivree slept in til 7:30 and Anisten finally woke around 8.  I was able to shower at least before Ani got up, so I got a little head start there.  We started off reading Luke 2 and the girls put the Nativity scene on the board as I read.  Then we opened the first gift of Christmas, which is the baby Jesus that goes in our nativity.

Here are the girls with the storyboard and Ani is holding the baby Jesus (don't ya love the bedhead?)

 And here is Ani putting baby Jesus in his manger.  We started this tradition last year and I really like it.  It helps us keep our focus on what Christmas is all about before all the present madness begins.

 Christmas morning.  I decided it would be best to hide their other presents (under the blankets) until we'd have time to open them after church.

 Ani loved her new microphone!

 Aivree got a Dora dollhouse and this was the hit of the day, let me tell ya

 Ani opening her first present

 A new church dress to wear to church...right now!

 My cute girls dolled up for church (kind of dolled up...we didn't have a lot of time).  It was funny, I told Ani we'd be going to church on Christmas and she was fine with that, but for some reason after she saw a couple of presents Christmas morning, she wasn't that excited about going to church anymore. :)  They were good girls at church (especially considering they didn't eat any breakfast because they were too busy playing, it's okay I took snacks) and I really enjoyed going to church on Christmas and hearing all the beautiful music.  It was a good start to the day.

After church the girls got to open the rest of their presents.  Here is Aivree yelling so excitedly that she got got her "own ballet shoes!!"  (She was always getting in trouble for wearing Anisten's)

 And here she is opening her very own Leapster

Ani with a ballet calendar thing.  She liked this one because it was dance.

 And here she is opening her art box.  Now she doesn't have to steal mommy's paper and tape and glue, etc.

Here's a video of some of the excitement:

The girls trying out their new bean bag chairs.  So comfy.  This picture is so funny because Anisten is looking at us through her new magnifying glass and it totally magnified her face. haha

I loved these pictuers of Anisten and her microphone.  Our little Rock Star

 So after relaxing for a little while we headed over to my parents for the gift giving.  This year we just gave my parents a whole bunch of gift cards to places they like to eat/go.  We gave them a bag of groceries and the gift cards were attached to the grocery item that somewhat related to it (Rhodes rolls - Kneaders).  I made sure we gave them their present first, because it always seems so lame to give them their present after all they give us.  They always do too much and this year was no different.

The grandkids getting started on their presents 

 Beautful matching dresses

 The girls and their new Dora table

 My parents focused on families this year and doing activities together as a family, so they gave us four different gifts relating to family activities to do each season.  For winter, we got a fun box with a movie gift card and some treats for going to the movies and a family game.  For Spring we got a big box of Preen, gardening gloves for the kids and a gift card to J&J as well as gift cards to Farrs Fresh (to get ice cream after working in the yard).  For Summer we got a big picnic blanket and a really cool cooler thing on wheels to take on picnics and also a Subway gift card.  And finally for Fall, we all got a different Pez dispenser.  When we opened them we all realized they were different Disney characters....

 When we opened the Pez dispenser we found folded up cash and this folded up note: 

("Some cash for you to spend next FALL when we're in DISNEYLAND with YOU ALL!")

We're going to Disneyland!!!!  This September we all get to go on a trip together to Disneyland.  How awesome is that?  I am already so excited.  We also got a gumball machine and we're supposed to eat a gumball every day and once they're gone then it will be time for our trip.  I'm not sure the girls totally understand it right now, but they were pretty excited (especially Anisten....Aivree just keeps saying "we're going to Candyland!")

 After all the presents were done we headed downstairs for some yummy food, fun games and relaxing.

Ani spent most of her time playing the Wii (in fact, she didn't share very well).  Here she is doing the Michael Jackson one...love this picture.

Aivree had lots of fun playing with daddy, but...

 I think she wore him out. :)  I love how she went and laid down by him though.  So cute.

And just like that, it's all over.  What a great Christmas we had though and we have lots of fun things to look forward to this year.  Merry Christmas!