After Christmas

We are a 3 days past Christmas and the house still looks like we just opened gifts.  Ok, maybe not that bad, but I have yet to clean everything up.  The kitchen table is covered in legos.  Both Eric and Rubie received Lego sets for Christmas.  Eric spent all day Christmas day building his lego sets.  Then even some time on Friday.  Saturday he built Rubie's sets with her.  We had such a nice Christmas.  Christmas Eve we went to mom and dad Jeppson's for a Christmas party.  Ben and Cassie and their family joined, Joe and Tai and their boys, and Jared and Chantel.  We had a nice dinner.  Then we did a re-enactment of the Nativity.  It was kind of hilarious.  Dad wouldn't participate.  He stayed in the kitchen and partly watched, mostly cleaned.  (I think he can't handle the chaos.)  We had some costumes.  Jared and Chantel and Ben and Cassie didn't come with any.  I'm sure that next year they will.  I had Chantel be the narrator.  Rubie was Mary.  Eric was the Angel Gabriel.  Scott was Joseph and Jaxon was the donkey.  Doll was the baby Jesus and we made a manger in a box with shredded paper and some straw.  Koen, Heidi, and Meja were the angels that appeared to the shepherds and sheep who were Joe and Tai, and the sheep were Samuel, Madden, and Addie.  The wisemen / woman were Ben and Jared and Cassie.  I directed and did the music.  I wanted to share my testimony but the atmosphere wasn't exactly reverent.  So we just ended and laughed about it and enjoyed the fun of it.  After the Nativity we exchanged gifts and opened them.  Mom spoiled all of us.  She had nice gifts for all the grandkids--a toy and some clothes or something along with a Christmas book.  For the adults she gave us two books, money, gift cards.  Jared and Chantel had us for the sibling gift exchange and gave us gift cards to the movies.  We had Ben and Cassie and gave them a pancake maker with pancake mixes and syrup.

We got home kind of late.  But thank goodness I had most of the gifts wrapped.  I got Scott up around 5 and we set out the gifts, got the stockings, ready, he wrapped a couple gifts.  We even got a turkey in the oven and I got some dishes and cleaning done before the kids got up.  Rubie was the first to wake up and was not feeling well.  She lay down on the floor in front of the tree admiring all the gifts.  She had a slight fever and upset tummy.  Throughout the day I administered oils and medicine to help her.  She would feel better for a few minutes.  Open presents, play with toys, or play in the great snow that we received all throughout the day.  I loved watching the kids open their presents.  I love how thrilled they get.  I have watched other kids and by far, Eric, Rubie, and Sam have been the best.  They get so excited.  Rubie was so surprised to get Elsa, and Anna, and the Ice/Arandelle Palace.  Eric and Rubie both love their roller derby skates and keep wearing them in the house.  Sam is so thrilled with his little ride-on Dusty Plane and his Olaf cuddle pillow.  He is so adorable with both of them.  The Norton's surprised us Christmas Eve morning and showed up with arms full of gifts.  They had a gift for each child, a dinner gift certificate for us, a gingerbread house to put together, and a delicious buttermilk cake that I cannot stop eating.

Christmas Day we just stayed home.  Rubie slept on and off throughout the day, Scott took a long nap. And so we just stayed here.  It was nice.  Then Friday friends came over, Brock and Addie Huddleston came over in the morning.  Brock left when the Jarvis' showed up.  They stayed all day.  That night John and Emily wanted to take us out so we took the kids over there for JB and Jesslyn to babysit and we with out to sushi with John and Emily.  That was very nice of them.  Saturday after making food we went up to Ben and Cassie's to celebrate Ben's birthday.  They have got such a cute little house.  It is an older house in Kaysville that has been remodeled and updated inside.  It is a good sized lot.  There is not a garage and Ben has plans to build a garage/tool shed/exercise shed.  We took the kids sledding, had a lot of visiting time, and had a nice dinner.  Jared and Chantel visited after sledding.  Joe and Tai showed up soon after we did, but then Jaxon started throwing up.  Mom and Dad came too for dinner and visiting.  I'm really glad to have Ben and his family in Utah.

Now we are looking forward to Eric's baptism this coming week.  We have that to prepare for and need to build his volcano for science class.