Christmas Holiday 2013

This year we were really lucky to be able to stay around home for the holiday. We love visiting with family, but our kids were way excited to go to their own bedrooms and wake up the next day to their own tree. It was so fun to see the magic in their eyes. Grandma and Grandpa Wilde brought us a special treat: A Magical Santa ornament! The kids just had to blow on him and the whole tree would turn on or off! It was so fun.

We decorated the tree in mid-November for FHE. Max was on activity and that is what he chose. They had a blast doing it, and we let them do what they wanted, for the most part. It's funny, because I'm finding myself less and less particular about things over time. I'm happy to let them explore, within reason!

REEEEEAAAACCCHHHH!

Chaos

I love Sam's pose here.

First Day of December when our Elf, Jingle Bell comes. He started out by taking a bath in Elle's beads in the play kitchen.

Sam monkeying around with Dark le Singe before Christmas break



Our good friend Bryan Burr was Santa this year. He did a great job of frightening all the littlest kids-especially his own daughter. It was a fun night at our Ward Christmas party. We're grateful for Bryan, and suiting up. John Wayne would have been proud, as he said, "Having courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." 

"I want an Avalanche Marble set"

"I want a Magic kit and a top hat"

Dustin FINALLY convinced Elle it would be ok to sit with Santa. She was terrified.

"Am I supposed to care?"

On Christmas Eve, my mom and dad came up and we had a jingle bell rockin' time! There was skating (Sam kept stealing some guy's puck at the rink. Then he found a stick and started yelling, "Pass it here!" and diving to save it), rolling out cookies for Santa (I can't believe Santa likes gingerbread-yuck!), way too much food (we served appetizers so everyone had something the loved), stories of Santa (told by Dustin in the traditional Wilson Way), THE CHRISTMAS STORY(read by me in the traditional Wilde Way), and going to bed in new jammies (Jingle Bell found them and hung them up on Christmas eve morning, that stink!). All in all, a perfect night before Christmas.

Trying to teach Elle to skate.

 Cute new Jammies! Except Batman is NOT cute, but a Hero.

 Max's THANK YOU SANTA cookie. He cut it out with a knife and "carved" the words on it.

Another one of Max's creations.  No cookie cutter here. 

We had too much fun to take pictures of Christmas morning. The kids all got what they asked from Santa, and I think the big man was happy with his gratitude cookie. We were happy we survived. ;)