Christmas

We had a great Christmas this year. We tried really hard to keep it simpler than in years past. We were successful but the kids still made out like bandits and we will still cut back next year. It was so nice to be able to stay at home and just enjoy the day.

When the kids got up we opened presents, then had breakfast. After breakfast we played with the new toys for awhile and then headed outside to play in the snow. Of course Princess and Duder wanted to go back in and play with their new things so Layton Dad, Lil' Miss, and I stayed outside. I shoveled snow while Layton Dad pulled Lil' Miss around in the sled. Of course he did help with the snow shoveling and actually did most of it.

We had a wonderful relaxing day talking with family on the phone and playing with the kids.

Christmas Party

I have always wanted to have a big Christmas party at my house. I figured this year was as good as any to start that tradition so I made invitaions and invited A LOT of people. I had everyone bring a dish to share so I wouldn't have to make a ton of food, bought graham crackers and made icing for gingerbread houses, cleaned, and cleaned , and cleaned some more. The time had come and people came, and more people came, and more people came, you get the idea. I invited somewhere between 25 - 30 families, luckily not everyone came or we would have been really cramped for space. In the end we had 55 people at my house, and we had a lot of fun. The kids went downstairs to make gingerbread houses, with some help from mostly mothers, and most of the dads stayed upstairs and ate. It was a crazy two hours but so much fun. Some may call me crazy but I will probably do it again next year, with a few changes of course.

I left Jaren in charge of taking pictures so this is all I have. If I had been taking them there would have been a lot more. Oh well, there's always next year.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

So, Duder woke up this morning, looked out the front window, and declared, "It's snowing! Now it can be Christmas." Then proceeded to plug in the Christmas tree and garland. I thought it was so cute.

Despite the snow this morning that darn bus was still right on time @ 8:10. Stupid bus. I thought for sure the snow would buy us 5 minutes but I was sadly mistaken and Layton Dad had to take Princess to school. Of course, she was totally heart broken to be "forced" to take a ride in Daddy's truck. What is so fascinating about riding with Dad?

So, it really is starting to feel like Christmas at the Layton house. I put up one tree Thanksgiving weekend, the kids and I put up the second one last week. The invitations for the Christmas party are almost ready to be delivered, and all I have to do is print address labels for the Christmas cards. Now, if only I could drag myself out to do the Christmas shopping life would be blissfully Christmasy. Oh and then there is the matter of cleaning the house for the Christmas party. Ok so maybe I am not quite as organized as I would like but, I still love Christmas, and it really does feel like Christmas and isn't that the post title?