Christmas Break

I am finally getting around to posting pictures from Christmas. I started to once but I just wasn't in the "blogging" mood and the second time I tried, our internet wasn't working right and couldn't upload the pictures. So here I am finally. I uploaded the pictures in backwards order but oh well! 

We went to the Tri-Cities for Christmas and stayed for about 15 days. We left the night before we had originally planned, in an attempt to avoid the impending storm. I think we ended up hitting it head on. It took 6 1/2 hours to get to Pasco; normally it takes about 3 1/2. We had to stop along side I-84 to put chains on and kept them on for the better part of the drive. On Christmas Eve, we braved the roads and headed up to Moses Lake for a delicious dinner with my parents and all of my sisters, short of Karyn, as well as my Aunt and Uncle and cousins. If I counted right, in all there were 39 of us, 23 being children. That's a lot of kids running around one house. It's a good thing my brother-in-law is a dentist and has a big house. After dinner, the kids put on the story of the Nativity. They all dressed up in cute costumes and acted it out as my niece, Lesli, and my nephew, Christian, narrated. They did a great job and it was fun to watch. We also had two white elephant exchanges, one for the adults and one for the kids. I think everyone agreed that the kids exchange looked like more fun. There is talk that next year we will have a themed exchange so hopefully we will get a few more nicer gifts in the mix. Christmas Day the kids had a blast opening their presents at Grandma and Grandpa Hull's with some of their cousins. It takes along time to open that many presents. The adults even waited to open their own until all the kids were done and it still took forever. A couple days after Christmas everyone went home but we stuck around; I'm sure my parents appreciated the extended stay;). I wanted to be there when Karyn and Jason arrived. We sure missed having them around for all the Christmas festivities! Finally, the day after New Years, we went home and thankfully found our house safe and sound. We were concerned with freezing pipes but thanks to our good friends and neighbors, it was fine. We had a great Christmas and loved being able to spend it with family.

Abby was very excited to get her FurReal lapdog, which she promptly named "Mimi." Oh, she makes me laugh!

 

Tommy's first present. 

Emily has really been into puzzles lately so she got several for Christmas.

Daddy surprised Tommy, and us all, with an Elmo Live. It really is a cute doll. He says all sorts of funny things, tells jokes, stories, and even dances. 

Abby and her "most favorite and awesomest toys ever".

 

Tommy got mostly clothes for Christmas and after the first box of clothes, he would shove the clothes back into the box, shaking his head and saying "no!" 

Emily is very reserved when it comes to showing excitement so it is fun when we can catch her with a look like this on her face. 

When we would ask Emily what she wanted for Christmas, she would always say "homework". So Santa brought her a couple of workbooks and she was as thrilled as can be.

I brought this puzzle with us to piece together during "down" time. Who would have thought a 750 piece puzzle could have taken four days. 

The "kids" white elephant exchange.

"The Nativity" Abby was an angel, Emily was the star, and Tommy was a sheep (not pictured because he ran off with the other sheep, Romney). 

This is a picture of our back yard during one of the first real snowfalls of the season. It was beautiful. I love it when it covers everything with a blanket of white.