It's Christmas!

Christmas is here! I'll admit to not really being in a Christmas mood this year... We came home from our Disney vacation after Thanksgiving, and I did manage to pull down the fall decor and put up some Christmas decorations outside.  I didn't really get to anything inside, and Keaton finally took over and put up the stockings, ice skating rink, santa head filled with M&M's (the traditional Blackham decor). We didn't get up as much as we usually do, inside or out, but enough (if the Santa head is out and filled, the kids will be pretty happy). Gray did put up the tree, Colton hung decorations where he could reach ... (so the bottom half of the tree). Landon and Callahan did move some further up ... but again, the tree was pretty pitifully decorated compared to previous years. 

Colton came down with the flu in the weeks before Christmas (Grayson wasn't feeling well either, and a couple others had a touch of the sniffles but nothing too bad). Colton was home for an entire week, and that kept me home as well. Luckily I had Amazon, and I did most of our Christmas shopping online. I didn't get around to wrapping any presents until just a couple days before Christmas ... I think the kids were getting worried. 

Gray took the boys out the Saturday before Christmas ... and unbeknownst to me, had them fitted for suits.  So that was a surprise Christmas morning! Instead of the usual jammies, all the boys were looking SO sharp! Maybe we should make dressing up a Christmas tradition. They wore the suits to Maga's house to surprise her too, then the younger ones changed (Landon and Callahan actually stayed in them most of the day). 

We did the traditional unwrapping Christmas at home in the morning ... I had put out Landon's Buzz jacket we bought for him at Disneyland  (as he had said then "This is ALL I want") with his gifts ... he had a few other things (he and Callahan got the complete series of "Friends" on DVD). Callahan got some Nike shirts and socks. Keaton also got some socks and a some shirts, and a remote control car. Cooper and Colton got a new basketball and some legos (or legoish things ... Mario Knex and PowerRangers) and a Nerf gun blaster. They all got a laser pointer, Itunes credit, and a cotton candy maker (which we have yet to try out). And of course the suits! Gray also got a nice remote control car which the boys loved, until Grayson broke it (reminiscent of last year and an expensive remote control helicopter that didn't make it past Christmas day). 

Preceding Christmas, we had gatherings at both Grandma's houses ... well, on the Westra side, it was actually at Scott and Amy's this year, as my mom had back surgery recently and hosting would have been a little too much for her. I had left a little too much to the last minute, so I spent Christmas Eve scrambling to finish the family video (see it HERE) and making chicken noodle soup and breadsticks ... between that, and the weather (someone must have been singing "Let it Snow" on Christmas Eve!) we were running quite late to the Westra bash. They did wait for us (and our soup and breadsticks) and we ate dinner, played the candy bar game, watched the slideshow and exchanged gifts.

The night before (the kids were calling it Christmas Adam, the day before Christmas EVE) was when we went to Maga's for dinner and a nativity. There was a knock on the door, and it was Santa and his wife! They had presents for all the grandkids, and even KNEW some of their naughty and nice habits. They all got gifts and it was a very fun night.

Rather than overload the blog with all the pictures, I created an album and posted it HERE. We didn't get as many pictures as we should have this holiday season, but I did get quite a few. I finally got into the Christmas spirit a bit too ...

In addition to Santa coming, the TOOTH FAIRY also needed to pay a visit, as Cooper had lost a tooth on Christmas Eve. I wonder if Santa and the Tooth Fairy ran into each other while they were out and about!