Christmas 2010

My kids love to look through old photo albums and look at picutres, of all of the pictures their most favorite is to look at Christmas pictures. I think that it brings back the magic a little bit. I know I am the same way about looking back at Christmas pictures when I was a girl. So this the reason for the many pictures that I am posting. We had a great Christmas. I loved having the kids in a realm where Christmas wasn't all about Santa and presents. We got to study a lot about Christ and his birth and life. I decided to read a series of books that Gerald Lund wrote on Christ, and I loved it. It brought a huge understanding of the culture and life that Christ could have lead. It reflected a lot through what I was sharing with the boys. It was a Christmas full of the spirit of Christ and it was a blessing to have the children "around" me to share the feelings that I was having with no interference from the worlds view of Christmas.

The Monday before Christmas we took Family home evening and dinner over to Bull Canyon grandma and grandpas. We also took our nativity puppet show for them. It was a very special start to a special Christmas. We love these two individuals very much, they hold a very special place in all of our hearts. They shared some of their childhood Christmas stories with us. It was a wonderful evening.

There were still plenty of gifts from Santa and we had fun Christmas morning. Holdan as you can see got a hat from Addler and a new rope from Santa, the new boots are from Grandma and Grandpa Tubbs. He was a "Cowboy" He loves his new shirt too.

After Grandma and Grandpa Price came over for Christmas dinner, Shane and Wendy and what Holdan called "baby Santa" or Jemia came over. She is so cute I had to have a picture. A little bit after that Matt and Deneice and their family showed up it was so fun having lots of family to share Christmas with. The next day the Tubbs all got together again so we could all see Kyle and Jessica it was so fun! We talked and played games, not real normal occurance for the Tubbs' brothers, but they shared funny stories about their life as children. A fun memory not to forget. Austin enjoyed it more than he could express he loves his brothers.

Maestin got a piggn' sting for Christmas, and Austin fixed up an old calf tieing dummy of my brothers. It wasn't a big hit until half way through the day. Then it is all they wanted to do! Maestin and Ruxton got matching shirts, and Addler and Holdan had matching shirts. Oh! how cute! What is it with moms and matching cloths!

Austin showing Maestin how to tie the calf. Maestin had a few frustrating moments but mom got around to timing him, it got serious and fun!

Ruxton our mighty hunter received his own B-B gun (I don't believe it has been named yet) and a pocket knife. I was a little unsure if he really was ready to have a knife when in his excitement kept opening it and waving it around for everyone to see that it was "Chinese pointy" What does that mean?

Austin is so fun on Christmas, he patiently gets all the toys out of packages, and learns how to use each of them as the others are begging for their toy.

There is a funny story to this picture. Maestin received this race car track, and he got it out and attempted to put it together himself. After what you see there he asked for help. So I went over and started to help him. One part of the track requires the use of these little clear rubber bands. I had one and I asked Maestin were the other one was and he said, "Oh, I shot it over there, I just thought it was for fun!" He was upset but I had to smile because it is so typical of a boy to just flip it! We managed to make it work. Maestin also received a remote control helicopter.

Me and Holdan playing with his cool Diego play house. He loved it.

Holdan just waking up and checking out his gifts from Santa

Addler is playing with his new trailer chute and corrals, as well as a new leatherman thing.

The best story is saved for last. To sum up our Christmas we spent Christmas Eve with my Grandma Price and many cousins, which was a lot of fun. Then we left and came home and spent the rest of the evening with Shancy and Kade and mom and Dad. The boys did a nativity puppet show for them, that we tried to keep reverent. The boys went to bed eager for Santa. At 4:00 am Addler comes up and says that he cannot sleep. I send him back down, however he does have to pass by all the toys on the way. 3o minutes later he comes back up and says that he is board, I send him back down and tell him he can't get up until his clock says 6:00 Well right at six he was up and our morning began. I got up and noticed that Addler was excitedly telling his brothers what they need to look at in their spot of toys, and he was ready to open his presents, not super excited over what he had, like maybe he had checked it all out already. Maestin informs me later that Addler was bringing candy from the stockings down to share with Maestin and who knows or maybe I do know what else he played with for his magic exciting Christmas morning before the rest of us joined him!

P.S.

I am a little upset that I didn't get any pictures of the price family party or New Years Eve so I will write instead. My family had a fun party the Monday after Christmas. It was crazy fun. There are just some many little people everywhere, that I couldn't even think about anything! Besides that I made a note to myself not to get in Kinzies' way when she is ready to fight, she scared off all the boys with her crazy sword fighting... I mean playing! Grandma put together a fun treasure hunt for the kids for the Christmas present with fun surprises at every clue, but the final present was a hit, a fooz ball machine. It was fun to see all my family and to play games and have a good time!

New Years eve, I had sick kids so I decided to have a celebration at home I went to town and got some carne azada and invited Kade, Shancy, and Zane over. I thought it turned out good, and it was a very enjoyable evening of just visiting, we had games but didn't get around to them. It was so nice when Kade decide he was tired at 10:00, hey we were too. They headed home and we had a very uneventful bringing in of the new year. Zane and Holdan had a blast with only one minor clash that Zane has still not forgotten. Thanks for coming over and celebrating with us you two Arbon folk it was fun!