Christmas Morning!

Dayton woke up first Christmas morning. He got a head start on breakfast.

I couldn’t believe how late Claire slept! I think it was almost 9:00 when I finally went into her room. She was actually awake and looking at a book, since Belton was still asleep, but she said she hadn’t been awake very long.

We brought Claire and Belton out at the same time.

And Claire just stood there and looked on with a happy face!

We looked at toys from Santa and stockings.

Slippers!!!

Dayton looks glazed over in all of the pictures I have of him at this point. - Soon after this, he went down for a nice nap!

I do love a good chocolate orange!

Then we paused and got breakfast ready. Peter, Marshall, and their families arrived at the perfect time to eat breakfast with us. And then we began opening presents.

Peter thought he was smooth enough to leave his White Elephant gift in a dark corner on Christmas Eve before he left the house. But we found it! And I wrapped it! And he received it again!!!  - And I’m pretty sure he took it home that time.

Marshall kept getting presents inside presents.

Aaron got a nice keyboard!

Claire made this nativity at school, and it was her gift to Jordan and me. She didn’t tell me a thing about it. I absolutely love it! I think it was my favorite gift this year!

Claire got to play with Marcus’s bird for a brief moment.

Dayton finally woke up and found a present.

Claire and Jordan did Claire’s new puzzle.

Taylor made his Lego White House.

We all helped to get the other big meal of the day - chicken fried steak - ready. Sister Chaney came and ate with us. My mom has visit taught her for 30 years, I think. (If it hasn’t been quite that long, it’s certainly close!)

Dayton and Belton played.

And I just love this picture from earlier in the day.

We are so blessed and so grateful. Merry Christmas! Christ was born! He lives! He loves us!

Christmas Eve Party

I do love our Christmas Eve party! We have such a good time! And this year was no exception!

We ate yummy food.

 We laughed.

We smiled. 

The kiddos acted out the nativity. Belton was a shepherd. 

Claire and Aaron were Mary and Joseph.

Kash was a wise man.

After the nativity, we sang Christmas carols.

I love seeing this picture of people singing! :-)

Taylor played his clarinet.

And then we played White Elephant. Belton wanted to open a big present, and he got a pretty Christmas decoration.

Vickie got my awesome tissue holder! I absolutely love it! - I found it at a different White Elephant I attended this year, and I stole it so I could bring it to this one!

Remember that big Christmas decoration Belton opened? Well, Claire had her eye on it from the moment she saw it! She told Jordan that’s the present she wanted to take. And when it was her turn, that’s exactly what she did! 

Some people were disappointed with their gifts, and others were happy. (But there was a lot of gift stealing, so those emotions changed rapidly!)

Marshall got Frogger, which I thought was pretty cool!

After our White Elephant was completed for the year, we said goodbye or goodnight, and Claire and Belton set out some cookies for Santa.