Christmas

 Another Christmas has come and gone. The celebration starts on Christmas Eve when the kids open their pajamas. Fiora requested "Polar Express" style jammies this year. They also got moccasin slippers this year. We then have the progressive dinner with the Schauers, we had appetizers this year so everyone came to our house first, I liked the kids admiring the ginger bread house. We enjoyed everyone's company and we had a little program, Savanna played "O Come Immanuel" on the violin, Fiora sang "Sleigh Ride" and Weston played "O come all ye faithful" on the piano. Savanna was funny and left cookies out for Santa and a few veggies for his elves.
Christmas morning the kids woke up way too early and decided to go in the office and watch a movie waiting for mom and dad to get up. When we decided we were ready, around 7:00 AM, we opened the "service box" where we write down service we did in december and share it with each other before opening gifts, as a symbol of our gift to the Savior. The kids then opened stockings and their gifts from mom and dad under the tree, and from Chad and Robin who had our family this year. Weston loved his ninjago set so much he feigned fainting. Fiora loved her Furby Boom, and played with the iPhone app and Furby most of the day. Savanna got a gift card to Bella Ella and some boots that were unfortunately too small, she is growing so fast she has bigger feet than me now. They were all grateful.
This year the "big gift" was the redecoration of the kids' rooms. So we took the kids down one by one for the big reveal. I'm kicking myself for not taking a "before" shot of each room, a lot of work went into cleaning and fixing these rooms up, and I was very happy with the end results. Weston's room was reorganized, he had a pullup bar on his door frame, and he had new shelves so he could organize and display his legos. He also had a new backpack from All American Gymnastics and some new clothes on his bed. Each room also had a new picture of a temple hanging up somewhere in the room, Weston had the Salt Lake Temple.  Fiora's room had a new bookshelf/dresser that matched her desk, both newly painted, a lamp, and a new rug, and a jewelry hanger that mom made, and new jewelry and new clothes, and her temple is a 2014 calendar of all the temples, and after this year she will pick her favorite and I'll frame it. Savanna had a new loft bed with wall hanging and duvet cover to match, a new wardrobe, and jewelry hanger w/new jewewlry, and her shelf and dresser were painted white to match the black and white theme of the room. She also had some new clothes and her temple was the Draper temple in a frame. Yes the kids were spoiled this year! Hopefully their rooms can stay like that for years to come.
Jared took me upstairs after this and gave me some leggings and boot socks to go with the new boots he gave me this year. And for his present this year I am doing the 40 day love dare for him (from the movie "Fireproof"), Jared doesn't like people buying him things, especially me since our funds our mutual, so I try to do a service for him every year instead. I like the love dare so far, I'm 12 days into it and its been noticeably affecting our relationship in a positive way.
Later that day we enjoyed a visit from Grandpa Neil and Grandma Bonnie, who brought us a cheese cake and gave the kids $5 each!  Then we went to the Carpenters for the Barrett gift exchange, Christmas luncheon, and to skype my sister Krystal on a mission.  Thank you family for all your love and gifts!!! What a day of love and giving!