Christmas

Ryan had been very busy the week before Christmas plowing snow.  We got some pretty big snow storms that had him working 30 plus hours straight just trying to keep up.  Luckily the weather cleared up the weekend before Christmas and after finishing paperwork on Monday he was free on Christmas Eve. 

We started out the day with sledding, Andrea was a little more scared this year than she was last year but loved it when one of us rode with her. 

Our sled only lasted about ten goes, then it broke, so I'll guess we'll have to invest in a sturdier one. 

Christmas Eve we had dinner with the Lees and Matt, Sara, and kids had come up from Cedar City.  The grandparents gave the grandkids one present to open which were penguin "snuggies".  The parents had a good time laughing at the kids, but the kids seemed to really enjoy their "costumes" as Andrea called it. 

That night we opened our own pajamas at home, and Andrea even got a robe which she has been wanting for a while, don't ask, we don't try to analyze our unique girl.  We left cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer and went to bed.

The next morning Ryan and I were awake before Andrea so I started cooking our traditional breakfast of reindeer pancakes. 

Ryan and I had hurried to finish a puzzle we were both making for Andrea and got it done Christmas Eve.  It was the first present she noticed and she wanted to take the time to complete before she opened anything else. 

Andrea got her wishes from Santa of a Barbie guitar, bongos, and got a dress up mermaid outfit.  From Mom and Dad she got magnaformers, a fairy flyer, and an Ariel doll. 

Ryan got an rc hovercraft, headphones, a hoody, a battery pack for his camera, a hat and gloves from Andrea, and two movies

I got a jacket, a cardigan, a movie, a game, a willow tree figure, and gloves and a gift card from Andrea. 

Even Gideon got a new duck toy and a bone.

Next we went to the Lees where everyone there had already opened gifts so they got to watch us open ours.  We got lots of much needed items as well as some fun ones. 

We had lunch with the my side of the family and opened gifts there.  Andrea and her cousin Brigitta were most excited about their make up cases. 

After cleaning and decompressing we relaxed that evening with Matt and Sara. 

What a great Christmas, so much fun, lots of love and laughter!

Christmas Activities

Andrea was very busy this year getting ready for Christmas, each morning she had six advent activities to do, plus find Christopher Pop-n-kins, our Christmas Elf. 

We were invited to decorate gingerbread houses with Andrea's cousins, Roland and Brigitta, but our schedules never lined up.  Amy was so sweet to make Andrea her own house to decorate and even included frosting and candies, it was better than any kit in the store since it was homemade.  I think Andrea might be the luckiest girl in the world to have so many people who are always thinking of her. 

 Andrea got to visit with Santa twice this year, once at the ward Christmas Party, this one was the real Santa.

And once at her dance party, that was just one of Santa's helpers since the beard wasn't real.

She asked for a Barbie guitar, bongos, and a mermaid tail (which she created in her mind) that was going to be fun for Santa