Christmas catch up

I've blogged a lot since Christmas, but I have not yet recorded how the big day actually turned out.
While we were in Utah, I was lucky enough (through some pushing and planning by my mother) to meet with and hang out with my three sisters. Brother is in Arizona or we would have done some stuff with him too. We were able to go out to dinner at a pretty delicious but really weird Thai restaurant - they forgot to give us plates. Who does that? My mom also sent some Barnes and Noble money for us to take and spend. You know how I love books! Anyway, my sister Michelle brought some presents for the kids and wanted to be there when they opened it, so we had a little pre-Christmas celebration with my sisters. The kids were so excited. Emily didn't want to wake up at first, even after we picked her up, told her there were presents, showed her the presents, and were speaking loudly and closely at her. Then Joseph took her outside into the brisk (temps in the teens) winter weather and she was awake in an instant. And she was enthusiastic about the present opening prospects.
Here is a picture of everyone in the midst of the chaos. (For you, Mum!)
Sarah's got Elinor and Steph's that black smudge in the back on the bed.

Another pretty much identical picture:
Steph's still a black smudge and Caleb has disappeared.

And here they are with joyous and excited faces.
Hmm. I wonder where Emily came up with the idea of being a princess when she grows up?

The real Christmas started out slowly. The kids were up before seven, but no one else was. So Joseph and I got them dressed, gave them milk, fed them breakfast, read scriptures... pretty much killed as much time as we could. Joseph put Elinor in a stocking for some Anne Geddes style pictures, minus the nakedness, contentedness of the baby, and the fancy camera.
Yeah, Elinor didn't like that set-up so much.

Emily, with her ever-present crown and earrings, did though. She told me she would teach Elinor to be a princess too when she gets older. It looks like Elinor is studying Emily and her princess-ness on her own though.

Finally the rest of the household started to rouse, so we opened stockings.
Elinor had been freed from her baby trap by this point. And then it was time to head off to my parents' house. Yeah, the kids had been up for a couple of hours by this point, but no present opening had taken place yet.

So, here we all are at my parents' place. I love these pictures with the twinkling Christmas tree and the excited little kids.


After breakfast with my parents we headed back to Joseph's mom's house for presents. It was so fun to see the kids so excited about what they received!

It was sort of exhausting though. Caleb was feeling it.
We had a Christmas party with my parents that evening, and then our little family presents in Austin when we got back home, but I think I have told enough of our Christmas story for now. It was a fun time. We love being able to spend holidays with family! What a great trip!