Christmas Eve/Day 2020

For Christmas Eve, Grandma/pa Anderson took us out to eat at a Chinese restaurant then they had rented a movie theatre to watch, Fred Claus.  It was a very fun evening and I think Grandma/pa Anderson liked spending it with their posterity.

The next morning, we magically work up to this:

The kids came into our room and waited while Matt and I got ready to take pictures and video.  They were EXCITED!

Laynie had been asking Santa for a bunny, but I honestly didn't think he would pull through with that request.  Live animals are sometimes iffy, ya know.  But the man in red delivered her wish and we all fell in love with these two little fur balls.  They are a cross between mini dutch and dwarf hotot breeds.  I'm really hoping they are of the same gender...

Laynie wasn't shy at all.  She opened up the cage and immediately scooped up her bunny then gave it lots of attention and love throughout the day.

Stocking surprises!

Gavin had a great idea to draw names for gift giving.  Laynie drew Matt's name and we got him this bike!  (We even stayed in budget to get it by scouring the "free" section on fb marketplace.)

I gave Gavin a card game and a bey blade.

Dad gave Laynie some Scribble Scrubbier and a journal.

And Gavin gave me a compilation of workout videos downloaded onto Matt's Youtube account.  I've been getting a good workout (and sore muscles) ever since!

Matt and I gave Gavin what he REALLY wanted:  a k'nex set.  He and dad had fun putting it together.

We also got the kids new face masks for school.

Daddy got some underwear.

Laynie got some underwear too, but she was too embarrassed to show them! LOL

Gavin got socks and was proud to show his love for them!

Santa gave Laynie some more Scribble Scrubbier.

Laynie loves to have her nails done, so Matt and I gave her a nail painting kit.

Grandma/pa Sorensen gave Laynie a quilt Grandma had made.  Laynie got to pick out the material when she was last at Grandma's house.

Grandma/pa Sorensen gave Gavin a game and puzzle in tin lunchbox.

Santa also gave the kids a Lego set.  They had fun Christmas morning assembling them.

Matt wrapped up this UNIQUE-looking package for me.

Inside, were a bunch of light switches and plates.  Matt had researched how to swap them out and even install 4 SMART light switches.

Santa gave Gavin this game of Life - which he really wanted.

Christmas hugs!

Christmas Candy!

Matt and I also gave the kids season tickets to Lagoon.  (This will also be our Summer Vacation this year.)

At 4:00, we got ready to go to Grandma/pa Anderson's house for Christmas dinner.  Crab legs, steak, shrimp and the like!  Yums to our tums!

I sure love my family.  I'm thankful for the memories we make together and for the knowledge that because of our Savior, born in Bethlehem, we can be together forever.  I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I'm thankful for their plan of happiness.  Life isn't always easy, but with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it can always be filled with true JOY.

 

Spreading Holiday Cheer (and hopefully not the Covid...)

The day before Thanksgiving, we attended Pie Day at Grandma Anderson's home.  Laynie and I made a cherry pie to take to Gunnison.  For Thanksgiving, we gathered together at Tyler and Amber's house and had a nice meal, played Rummikub, and challenged each other in trivia questions.  

Pie Day!

As per tradition, we put up our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Gavin got to put the star atop.

2 excited kids for the Christmas Season.

(I was a little excited too!)

Meet the owners of the newest book store in town:  Gavin and Alayna!

They set up their bedroom like a book store one Sunday and had mom and dad be the customers.

A transcription of Laynie's writing reads:  "Book Store Coming Up!"

My friend, Melanie, has a Cricut machine and with it, we made iron-on vinyl tea towels to give as Christmas gifts.

My little Preschool tree.

The kids put on a Christmas Concert on my front porch for their parents.  They played hand bells and sang, "Must Be Santa."

The week before Christmas, we took the kids to the movie, Croods 2.  We hadn't been to a movie theatre in 1 year!  It was fun watching a movie on the big screen once again.

On Dec. 21st, the Winter Solstice, Jupiter and Saturn almost aligned completely.  It made for a bright star in the sky - perhaps similar to what happened the night Jesus was born.

On Dec. 22nd, we had our friend Brittney over for a night in Bethlehem.  We ate a meal that Jesus might have eaten:  fish, pomegranate, salad, flat bread with hummus and grape juice.  We then played the dreidel game, watched "The Christ Child" movie and then played a rousing game of Sardines!!  Matt had us searching high and low for him.  Turned out he was laying flat on the floor between the treadmill and couch in our basement.  We walked past him multiple times in the dark.  Matt had to give us hints by making announcements on Alexa to steer us toward him! lol!

We weren't sure if Marty was going to show this year, but he ended up coming to our house 2 days before Christmas!  Only he was sick with Covid-19 and needed to stay in the glass jar!  He wrote the kids a note to explain his absence and that he's only stay 2 days.

Reading the Elf on the Shelf book together.

The evening of the 23rd was spent eating ham and passing around white elephant gifts amongst the Anderson family.

Sharon and Stacie May (our Irish family) sent the kids some fun gifts in the mail.  The kids enjoyed the coloring pages, crafts, games, clothes and stuffed animals that were given to them with love.

A few days before Christmas, we got snow!  And it was the perfect kind of snow to make a snowman!