The Quiet Christmas

After Pendleton, we got together with the Stockies (my sister's family) the night before Christmas Eve. The cousins did their exchange and of course Ev and Aric did their traditional gift exchange. I forgot my camera so I am waiting to get some pictures from them.

On Christmas Eve we took the kids downtown to see a movie, Arthur Christmas, we loved it! It was such a cute movie. Camden was so excited when he saw these giant Chimpunks! He went and game them each a hug.

We had a good time hanging out at Riverfront. The tree itself is magical!

The kids showing off their holiday shirts...

After the movie we went to see Santa. As a family we decided to forgo individual gifts and ask for a family gift...an xbox 360 kinect.

Then we came home and had our traditional beef stroganoff dinner. It's a tradition that we have from Aric's mom.

After dinner we did our Christmas deliveries...dropped off banana bread and music cd's.

Then the kids each opened one gift.

We did the reindeer oats.

Eden is taking her throw very seriously...

And last but not least we left Santa some banana bread...

Christmas morning...

Sleepy kids

Present opening

Kinect playing

Church going 

(Maya and I were in the choir this year. Maya sang in a small group number, it was so precious!)

We had chicken fajitas for dinner (no special tradition just what we had ingredients for) and spent the rest of the night just being together.

Maya had a special Family Home Evening lesson. Eden was her assistant. Camden was clearly not a very good listener.

Look at Maya in this next picture...so awesome.

We had to say goodbye to Paxton, our elf, but we know he will be back next year ;)

The best gift this year was from Grandma Kathy. At Hallmark I had seen those books that can record you reading a book, so I asked her to make a book for each of the kids. They are hands down the kids most favorite gift.

These books will be treasured forever. To hear her voice brings tears to my eyes. She is still hanging on, but we know that her time is short. This has been an especially meaningful Christmas as we have focused on what Christ's life really means to us and most importantly what his resurrection means. It has been a very bitter/sweet holiday season. 

Christmas-ing in Pendleton

So this year we decided to have a quiet Christmas at home but not seeing any family would be just too sad so we decided to go to Pendleton for a little before Christmas partying.

We celebrated Joe's birthday...

Going back to my home town is always a treat. I love spending time with my grandma and other extended family. This time the kids took turns having sleepovers at my grandma's with their cousins Aby and Pochito. The girls one night, the boys the other.

Pochito and Camden can't get enough of each other! When Pochito first saw Camden he said "Hey Camden is five now because he is as big as me!" Pochito is five, Camden is three...They had a great time together, they went on a journey looking for dinosaurs.

They also helped Joe do some outdoor decorating...

The girls made cookies with Joe...

We took the kids to see the Christmas lights which was fun especially when we would hit a dead end and almost went down a cliff.

I was able to have dinner with some of my childhood friends. I loved reconnecting with these wonderful ladies. Even though we are all old now, it's so neat to talk to people who knew me way back when...when I was becoming who I was going to be ;)

One of my favorite memories of growing up was eating Peanut Butter Butterflies from "Up With Donuts" or  "Up Your Donut" which is what I remember calling it. Anyway, I took Aric on a little date there, he was impressed not only with the size but the yummy-ness!

Whenever I am in town I love to see what project my brother Ben is working on (he builds houses). He is currently building a 3800 sqft house. It is beautiful, he has some skills, that baby brother of mine :)

I was able to go on a couple of long runs. It was lonely but fun to run around my old stomping ground seeing it through grown up eyes.

Another cool Pendleton attraction is the food vendors that roll into town. From the first moment Aric laid eyes on this truck he couldn't wait to eat there...

Well he had to wait a few days but he got his foot long corn dog...

The best part was when he paid for it with a ten dollar bill, this is the change he got back...

$2 bills, Silver dollars and fifty cent pieces.
SERIOUSLY??

The night before we left, we had a fun family Christmas party. It was so great to hang out with my extended family, I love these people!!!

Me and Tia Lucy

Eden got to play Santa...

Camden rocking out with his sweet new guitar...

The girls loved their Aeropostale gear that they got...

Every year I try to do some homemade gifts. This year it was my Tia Ines's turn to get a homemade goodie from me. She has never had a real church bag to hold her scriptures and manuals in so I made her this special one.

She loves roses so I found this rosey fabric for her and the most special part of this bag is the button. When my Abuelita Tina died, all I wanted was her sewing basket. At the bottom of the basket were some buttons that she had saved from clothes she had worn. I found this button and thought it was perfect for this special bag.

I love taking a bunch of fabric and ribbon...

...and turning it into something pretty and practical.

And that my friends is how you secure your spot as the most favorite niece.

One of the things that happens in Pendleton, that cannot be avoided, is running into someone you know everywhere you go. Knowing this fact, I sent Aric into Walmart as we were rolling out of town. It needed to be a quick stop so I stayed in the car with the kids....until I saw my friend Jenny coming out of  Walmart with some of her family! She had just gotten into town from Utah. So I jumped out of my car screaming her name, it was a fun reunion in the parking lot.

It was a very pleasant trip to Pendleton. It was the perfect way to kick off Christmas! This is my favorite picture from the trip...

C with my Tia Lucy...LOVE IT!