A very merry Christmas indeed!

6:00 am.  Not a minute earlier, not a minute later.  Jayden's mad because I made him take a picture before running downstairs to see if the Jolly man really did come.

He soon forgave me and was so excited that Santa brought him an electric scooter.  Only too bad that it wouldn't charge.  And then too bad that after a week the new charger they sent us still didn't work.  And then too bad that it's January 7th and he still has to wait for another week for a new battery to come.  Hopefully some day he can enjoy his main gift.  I feel like we spent the next few days after Christmas on the phone with customer service.  Maddox's train didn't work so they said they would send us a new one, only they sent us a random part on the train track and not the train, so we're still waiting for that.  And the fat sack I got for Jason (it's a wakeboarding thing, don't google it, trust me) was missing a part for the pump, such a bummer!  Anyways.....

This was the moment I was waiting the last several months for.  It's rare that the kids are genuinely surprised on Christmas.  They give Santa their wish list and EXPECT the gift, since that's what Santa does (so much pressure!).  This year Kylie has been begging for an itouch and we convinced her it was too much money and she was too young. And lucky for us she knows about Santa so she couldn't pull that card. She cried, she bribed, she groveled, she did everything in her power to convince us to get her one. Somewhere along the way we changed our minds and decided to do it (for future reference, Kylie, it was not the crying that changed our minds! :).  She was not expecting it at all and the look on her face when Jason pulled out an itouch from the Santa bag was priceless. 

she immediately tackled Jason to the ground after this picture. 

it has not left her side ever since and it's fun that she can facetime her friends and cousins.

Maddox loves his playhouse.  We ended up putting it on the side of the house in the "forest" and I love watching him play with his friends and Kylie & Jayden in it.  They have this whole camping scene set up and they literally play there for hours, remind me to take a picture of it.

He also loves his "tinger toys", although instead of making robots and cars like I had envisioned, he makes swords and guns and hits everything and everyone.

Poor Ryder.  I don't think, okay, I know we didn't get him any real presents. I kind of went around the house on Christmas eve and found random things to give him...diapers, wipes, baby food.  We stuck his name on some of Maddox's gifts also so that we didn't feel quite as guilty.  He was just as happy with the wrapping paper anyways.

The Christmas carnage.  The only day of the year that I let the house go (until about 5:00 and then I can't stand the mess anymore).  Here's the loot list: Kylie-itouch, itouch cover, itunes gift card, Toms shoes, slippers (from Jayden), nail polish (from Maddox), clothes; Jayden-electric scooter, Pharoah's lego set, Pyramid lego game, Super Mario wii, basketball (from Kylie), magic card set (from Maddox), basketball shoes; Maddox- playhouse, tinker toys, remote control car, Thomas train set, Thomas block set, Thomas book and playset, play food (from Kylie and Jayden) ; Ryder-diapers, wipes, books, music CD, spoons (from Kylie), baby food (from Jayden), binkies (from Maddox); Jason- clothes, snowboarding goggles, church shoes, fat sack, grill plank & seasoning (thanks Tyson!); me- snowboard, snowboard pants and gloves, exercise clothes, slippers, boots, clothes, super cute camera strap (thanks Dawn!); family- DVD player for the car, games, cute & soft blanket throw (thanks mom!). Spoiled.

Yet another wonderful Christmas come and gone.  We let the kids open the Santa gifts before church and then I loved that we got to attend church and remember the birth of our Savior (I didn't love that it was at 8am, though).  It was a beautiful musical program and helped to really set the mood for the rest of the day.  We went home and spent the rest of the morning opening gifts (my favorite is watching the kids open the gifts from each other, they are so proud and excited), eating a big Christmas brunch, playing with toys and eating a delicious roast dinner. It was a perfect Christmas, I wouldn't change a thing (okay, except that all the gifts actually worked!)

My last baby's first Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas...

...and all through the Young house, we were enjoying Christmas Eve brunch at the International Pancake House

then tackling the crowds for last minute Christmas shopping before taking a sleigh ride, Arizona style...

...then enjoying a Christmas eve ham dinner that made everyone smile.

 Pillow pets were the open first present this year...

then a chaotic but somewhat meaningful nativity play that ended with "baby Jesus" in tears....

Then tracking Santa on Nordac is a definate must...

then hot cocoa, popcorn and Mr. Kreugar's Christmas....

Then out to spy Rudolph in the night before climbing in bed and getting tucked up tight...

Yes, 'twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads....

....I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Holiday checklist

holiday decorations

christmas cards

neighbor gifts

teacher gifts

cousin, sibling and grandparent gifts

kids gifts

Jason's suprise gift

secret santa gifts

wrapping gifts

dance studio christmas party

class holiday parties

christmas work party

ward christmas party

adult christmas party

neighborhood caroling party

christmas bunco party

christmas cookie exchange party

RS christmas dinner

VT christmas breakfast

christmas light hayride

finish christmas hat orders

eat 720 calories of christmas goodies every day

hot chocolate and christmas movies every weekend night

christmas music playing every waking minute

watch Elf a minimum of 3 times

read "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" each night under the christmas tree lights

make Jayden famous by promoting all 7 of his new renditions of "Jingle bells, Batman smells..." yeah, that didn't happen, but he's still holding out hope

It's been a busy month. But the fun kind of busy. We did barely squeak in a few more to do's on our list, just in the nick of time. The temple lights are a must, which were unfortunately cut short by the rain.  Maddox was amazed at the Christus statue, it was the biggest trophy he'd ever seen....

and sitting on Santa's lap. Well, Jayden told us he was too old, Kylie though it was weird and Maddox was nervous to actually sit on his lap, which was probably for the best after his little hershey squirt incident at the temple earlier.  He wasn't a very friendly Santa, Maddox rattled off his laundry list of wishes and according to him, "he didn't even say anyfing!".  They had just as much fun playing all the games and oggling the displays at Bass Pro Shops, though. I can't believe this is the first year we've ever been there.  I'm excited the big day is almost here, but it's going to be sad when every weekend isn't filled with holiday stuff and Christmas isn't talked about every day.

We should be in Park City right now

I totally jinxed myself.  I was deep in the trenches of cleaning day and thinking about how sick I was last Christmas and how it is so nice that everyone is healthy.  Then Jayden came home sick.  I had one kid puking, one kid who wouldn't nap, toilets to finish scrubbing and a three year old who dumped all the bath water on the floor so that he could jump in puddles.  I thought at that moment it couldn't get worse.  Of course you know I was wrong.   I was still convinced Jayden was sick because he drank out of his week old water bottle that he kept forgetting to bring home.  Then Ryder threw up.  I was convinced I over fed him.  Then I threw up.  I was convinced I was sick from cleaning up throw up.  Then Kylie threw up and I was convinced she ate too many cookies.  Then Maddox threw up and I finally got over my denial and realized we had a full blown plague. Yes, it can always get worse. I still thought maybe there would be a miraculous recovery and Jason and I could jet away to our surprise-but-not-so-surprise snowboarding trip to Utah that he had planned for months  Then our baby-sitter called.  Her little girl was sick.  And then she got sick.  Yes, it definately can always get worse.  The only positive of sick kids is that their sweet side comes out.  Kylie thanks me profusely for taking care of her and Jayden wrote this sweet get well card for Kylie (To: Kylie I hope you fill beter.  I hope you are not sick on Christmas.  I hope this is last day for you to be sick.  from: Jayden).  So here we sit for the past 12 hours on the exact same spot on the floor watching every single Christmas movie on Netflix and wishing I was making out with Jason on the lift instead.  We've got chicken dumpling soup (thank you!!) and 2 barf free hours under our belt, so here's hoping things are on the up and up. Poor babies.

Family Pictures

I'm still convinced that every smiling family photo is a facade.  It never comes as easy as it looks.  This year's smiles are covering up battle wounds from a stick fight, a blistered foot that apparently makes it impossible to stand, let alone walk and an equal number of threats and bribes dished out through gritted teeth.  We finally discovered that band-aids are Maddox's currency and that did wonders to put a smile on his face.  My friend was so nice to come take our pictures, she did an awesome job (and once the rain and throw up stops hopefully we can take theirs before Christmas!) and I think we were both drenched in sweat by the time our 122 picture photo shoot was over.  But it was worth it, we got some great shots and I'm pretty sure I've got the cutest kids around.