Our Christmas 2012

Several years ago I changed up how we do Christmas. I did this out of necessity(read finances). Just like the Savior only received 3 gifts, my children only get 3 gifts as well.  Our Christmas was pretty meager this year.  But something amazing happened, all of my children were happy.  Each of them received something they had desired.  I had a friend ask me what Santa brought me.  I told him nothing.  He looked at me with shock and asked again, no really what did Brent get you.  I told him nothing.  Some day we will be in a position where we can once again purchase things for each other.  I am grateful that we were able to provide our children with what we could.  We didn't go over board, we stayed within budget and within our means.  Even though they didn't get super expensive items, they got what they wanted.  I told my friend that my Christmas gift this year was happy kids.  Isn't that all a parent wants anyway?  When I told Brent about my exchange he quickly said, "Did you tell him we're going to Disneyland?"  I said No.

Our Tree Christmas Morning. 

Brent insisted on shoving all the presents "under" the tree.  

I would have done it differently.  But what ev.

  

Our Annual Photo on the Stairs.

Man, my crowd is getting big!

 

Look at the sheer joy on his face!

I'm reminded of that shoe commercial, the one where the kids are explaining about how the parents don't get them and then they open the box up and the kids exclaim they are just what I wanted, and then streamers start shooting everywhere and the choir sings.  Yay, that's how this moment was. 

 

Isabel and her blessed MP3 player.

She could not stop talking about wanting an MP3 player.  It got so bad I had to ban her from even mentioning the word in my presence.  We found some we could afford and again, another moment that brought much joy to Isabel.

 

Beckham and more legos.

He disappeared for a few hours and all of his legos were put together. 

 

Grace modeling the headband Hannah made for her.

Hannah wanted to make each of her siblings a gift.  It didn't cost us anything since she found things around the house to make.  I was proud of her.  It really is so much better to give then to receive.  

 

Roman with his toy Grace INSISTED I get for him.

Grace and I were at a grocery store and she spotted these doggy toys.  She really, really, wanted to get one for the dog.  I figured, what the heck it's only a buck, why not.  When we got home Grace wanted to wrap it and a few other items.  It was fun to watch the excitement in her eyes as she wrapped them up.  I didn't help her one bit.  This demonstrates a change in my parenting.  When my older kids were younger I never would have let them wrap gifts on their own.  I would have had to have a hand it in.  To some degree I guess I'm a perfectionist, but not really.  In some way I regret not letting my kids do more things on their own when they were younger.  Kids aren't born with a manual and you just do the best you can with the knowledge you have at that time.  Right now I have an increase in knowledge about the capabilities of a 4 year old.  That, and it's okay if it doesn't look just so.  The fun she had doing it is what really mattered.

Later on Brent mentioned to me that I really must love the dog or else I wouldn't have bought the toy.  I said, "NO.  I don't love the dog.  I love our daughter."