We are so grown up!

After being married for a really long time we finally are grown up enough to have a Christmas of our own.  (There was one other time when we lived in New York but we had the Monroes Christmas Eve  and back again the next afternoon!)

The verdict:
I won't lie, I love extended family and heaps of people but our Christmas morning was magical as I sat back and admired our cute little family.  I give credit to us that we are so grown up but if I had to tell the whole truth....we did have family up until Christmas Eve night and then grandma and grandpa came on Christmas afternoon (but there was that time in the morning we were alone for a few hours).

Christmas Morning was fantastic, there was no rush to open presents the kids played with Santa presents for ever , we had breakfast and then took our time opening gifts!

Favorite moments!

Letting the kids come out before the given time of 6:30 AM!

(I had been awake for hours, far to excited to sleep)

The lineup - Layla started bawling 30 seconds after this because we made her wait to go out into the living room.

I love lists and I love top ten list especially, but so many favorite moments on Christmas morning they all made #1!

Here they are in no particular order......

Having a girl -bonus that she loves dancing and loves, loves new outfits to try on!

(She is my real life doll)

BMan asks for a motorcycle every year, this year he got a little closer!  This little man believes that life is happy when you are driving something!

So blurry - but look at B's face, he is so excited!

Ok, ok, ok...I lied!  I do have a favorite moment of Christmas!

Let me backup a few weeks before Christmas.  On a trip out to Enterprise, Braden (our true life little hoarder) hit the jack pot when he found a box that Grandpa Bracken (Lee)  had in his room.  The box full of "treasure" were things from old trade shows and stuff he had cleaned out from his drawers.  Braden and some of the other cousins spent half a day going through Grandpa's "junk box" finding treasure after treasure.  Weeks before Christmas "B" asked me for gift bags and he individually wrapped a present carefully selected for every member of our family.  He put much thought into each gift and even switched them a time or two.   

This is Jake opening his half whittled stick, a chap stick that expired years ago and his half eaten container of Tic Tacs that were also expired. (Braden asked for the Tic Tacs back upon Jake opening his gift).  I also got a chap stick and an old cell phone case and Rand had a few treasures of his own.   Braden beamed with excitement and I couldn't help get a little emotional at his pride in gift giving.  Love that little man!

Jake got into the gift giving as well this year and purchased from Santa's Workshop at school these magnets for Rand. 

 Go Yankees - Go Utes!

This daddy loves, loves his boys!

But we all know who melts his heart!

A "mop top" dressed in sparkly clothes.

This could be a close 2nd of favorite moments, see I can't stop myself from making top ten lists!

Rand you make a great weight!

In the end, Miss Layla loved Christmas even though she thinks everything good comes from the Library!

What a very Merry Christmas we had!