Christmas Day...and a little more...

I was just checking in at a blog I frequently read and the author did a review, in pictures, of 2009. She included one picture for each month and a brief description.
I really wish I could do that.
But...alas...you are now embarking on a post of Christmas Day that could take up a few years' worth on the above-mentioned blog.
Oh well.
I can't help myself.

So, anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Here is how our day went down...

We woke up to Ben jabbering away in his crib and the clock reading a lovely 7:15 am. This winter has been wonderfully kind to us in the way of children sleeping in. Gone are the summer days of rising in times during the 5 am hour to three children with loads of energy.
I love how things slow down just a bit during the winter.
I brought Ben into our room while we rubbed our eyes open. Then, JC wandered down the hall to get the other two up. They were still out cold. But it is amazing how very quickly a child can go from dreaming to sprinting down the hallway exclaiming about Santa and the like!
After removing the large chair we had placed in front of the stairway (in case someone wandered out without us knowing in the middle of the night or early in the morning), we headed up and watched the kids' faces light up and enjoyed every bit of the excitement. They really get it this year...the anticipation was very real in our household this season! It was so fun to see their expectations realized! I video taped them as they discovered their stockings, ran outside to check on the carrots left for the reindeer and opened wishes granted in the form of Buzz Lightyear, Spiderman and Princess Tiana.
Then, once the excitement died down a bit, my usual overzealous picture-taking began...

Ben with his "Big Buzz."
He already had a little version of this, but now he is a true Space Ranger.

James getting ready to dig in to his present from Mom and Dad, which turned out to be a little wooden train set. What little guy doesn't need one of these at some point?

Ben admiring his new laptop which will allow him to keep up with the older two who have something like this from last Christmas. He is getting old enough that he wanted in on the action!

Ben got right in on the action, even when it wasn't his turn to open something!

Something I love about James - always willing to take a moment of silence if he feels it is owed. Whenever he is feeling happy about something, he takes the time to just enjoy it.

Me, enjoying my kids' excitement...

Bethany, beautifully enjoying...EVERYTHING!

James readily inducted some of his new toys into ownership by gathering up too many of them in his hands at once and attempting to carry them up the stairs.

Bethany settled right into a new coloring book,

James (with Daddy's help) got sucked into the world of his train set,

and Ben started learning the ropes on his little laptop.

JC and I took the opportunity to finish some cleaning up in the kitchen, get some food started and fill the house with the smell of savory hash browns, eggs, and gooey monkey bread!
Every once in a while we'd wander back to the playroom for new-toy-opening or assistance-in-assembly...and sometimes if-you-guys-don't-stop-fighting-Santa-will-take-your-toys-back.
You know, everyday morning stuff.
Only, unlike other days, the Disney Park Christmas Parade was on TV.
I have never been a huge parade person myself but guess what? My kids LOVE them.
Go figure!

Some more playing...Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen dance together romantically.
(These are characters from that new movie The Princess and the Frog. Santa almost didn't get these to sweet Bethany because apparently every other little girl in Gilbert, AZ, wanted them for Christmas too. Luckily, Grandma Teri helped Santa locate them a couple days before Christmas...sometimes Santa needs a little help! Also, I would never be able to remember that Prince's name, having not seen the movie yet, but it is the same as the actor who portrays one of my favorite characters on 'Lost.')

Bethany also got her very own digital camera from JC and I. JC has been wanting to get her this since last Christmas and she absolutely LOVES it!

She used it plenty all day! (and continues to!)

Before long, everyone in my family started showing up for another Christmas breakfast at our place! It was really exciting to see everyone and watch the kids talk a mile-a-minute about their Christmas Eve and morning!
It was also extra special because my mom's parents were in town! They live in Texas and though I grew up near them most of my childhood, once we moved here we, of course, see them less. They are awesome and always come out for special events but, given the distance, we don't get to hang out with them nearly as much as I would like to! The kids and I visited them last year in Texas and it was great to see them again. The kids loved them last summer and counted down until their arrival this Christmastime. I'm not sure if Santa or Grandma and Grandpa Ellis were more anticipated!
We all enjoyed JC's perfect hashbrowns (he makes the BEST!) and eggs, my mom's traditional blueberry muffins (We've eaten these on Christmas Morning ever since I was a little girl!), oranges, and monkey bread. I made monkey bread last year as part of our Christmas breakfast and I believe this is now becoming another tradition! Which, if it's only once a year, I don't feel as guilty about eating it, so that's good, right?

Bonnie, digging right in!

Then...everyone enjoying.
Katie, my mom, Grandma Ellis, Bonnie, Grandpa Ellis (aka Bobby...the kids still call him this sometimes...I still am not sure how that started)

Okay, I know this picture is unforgivably blurry. But it was so cute, I can't help myself!
My mom wrestling James into submission to distract him from some fight or other that he caused...

A lot of the following pictures are going to be blurry because there was so much movement involved...but the good news is, with some spending money JC's grandparents gave us for Christmas, we got a new camera! So...take the time to really enjoy these pictures.

They should be the last blurry ones you ever see from me. :)

The Love Sacs always get a lot of action during family gatherings and this day was no exception!
Here, Bonnie is attempting to launch Ben into the air!

Then, my grandpa just couldn't sit outside the fun any longer and tried taking a turn.
Bonnie couldn't quite hack it.

But she DID get Ben in the air a couple of times!

I think, here, he is inviting Monica-and-her-new-awesome-hat to join in.

My grandpa attacking James while my mom lays back and is glad it's not her.
Yes, he still attempts to tackle and tickle his grown children.
I love this picture.

Pretty, blurry, Katie talking to Blurry Ben.
I have to say, I think Katie wins the award for "Most Dazzling on Christmas Morning."
She looked so cute!

Bondrew.

Pretty, blurry Laura all cozied up.
I don't think there has been a single time Laura has been at my house that she wasn't freezing cold. Of course, a couple of the years since we've been in this house have been while I was pregnant and running after toddlers so...I probably did keep the house a bit frigid. This time, I'll blame it on the winter. :)

Andrew gives the bouncing a try while Grandpa tries to keep James un-injured.

After a while, everyone trickled out and left us to our afternoon. We were all sufficiently exhausted and ready for some down time in the form of the normal, daily, rest time.
But first - nourishment in our favorite form...smoothies!!!
We have smoothies every day for breakfast. And/or, sometimes for lunch. And/or, sometimes for dinner.
We love our smoothies.
The kids love them because they are full of sweet fruit, make them feel excellent, and they are easy to carry around while they play.
I love them because they are full of said fruit, packed full of vitamins, minerals, herbs, enzymes, and whole food goodness. They send their immune system soaring when concocted as I like them to be. They make their tummies full of nothing but good stuff and make them happy.
If I was Oprah, the homemade smoothie would be at the top of my Favorite Things list.
So would the appliance that allows me to make them.
But anyway, on this day, while making the smoothies, I just happened to notice how festive they looked, all ready to be blended...

It's a Christmastime Smoothie.

This is what my countertop looks like every morning. A spread of Greens First whole food powder (10 servings of fruits and vegetables in one scoop, I might add), fish oil, Super Tonic herbal blend (this is for when we're sick, like they were at this time - a blend of habanero pepper, garlic, white onion, ginger root and horseradish root. Yes, it tastes horrible. Yes, it's worth it. Kicks anything horrible out of your body beautifully), Echinacea (extra when they're sick, but this is awesome to take all of the time. Crazy immune system support), frozen fruit, apple juice, orange juice, almond milk, and some agave nectar to cut the bite of all that garlic, onion, etc.
It all makes for an amazing drink.

Here is what I spent some time making that afternoon while everyone was resting.
Maple glazed carrots tossed with pecans to take to my parents' for dinner that night.
They were REALLY good. I shall make them more often.

While I finished up on that, JC helped the kids do a giant puzzle that James had gotten. Cars is big around here these days.

Then, it was on to my parents' house where Santa remembered us as well! More full stockings!

I love what my mom did with her staircase and want to do the same someday.
Just a side note.

The kids opened more presents and were so excited about the fun and thoughtful gifts they received.

All of us kids orchestrated a special gift for my dad this year. (Though after I had the idea, my mom was the one who actually found this and purchased it)
Here he is receiving it.

"It's a blue ball! Awww, it's a bowling ball..."
(If you don't recognize this scene/quote, I don't know what to say to you.)

Here I am, opening a few presents. JC was kind enough to turn the camera on me this year!
My parents got me a homemade pasta machine and drying rack.
I was, and still am, ecstatic! I can't wait to try it out!!!

This is me opening the most amazing gift...throw pillows my mom made.
Made from beautiful white fabric and the green fabric from my bridesmaids' dresses when JC and I got married. And red fabric from my bridesmaids' dresses when Mason and I got married.
There are four pillows and they are all gorgeous, intricate, and highly sentimental.
I tried really hard to not cry in front of everybody, and mostly succeeded. But, just so you know, Mom, you made it difficult!
I love them and wish it were Christmas always so I could always have them out! (Though, they would probably last about a day before something horrible happened to them, so nevermind...)

Something else sentimental - for some reason I made my sisters take a picture all together.
All of us here being merry and bright in our jewel tones and grays.
(Didn't we just have a conversation about this, Katie?)
Everyone looks so pretty and...my eyes look squinty...
But look at my beautiful scarf that Santa brought to my stocking at my parents' house (Laura helped him pick it out.)
Bonnie, Monica, me, Katie, Laura

My mom's table set for the holiday.
Gorgeous.
The food wasn't bad either. :)
Actually, it was all SO delicious!

After dinner, a happy Santa.

Everyone settled in for some wii. I think it was Star Wars or something else I would have no hope of learning how to play...

Ben and my dad chilled together while watching the light saber battles.
Aww.

The end of the day came before long and we headed back home to put the kids to bed, attempt to watch a movie (I could NOT stay awake), and sleep heavily until morning. Seriously, I crashed so hard. I guess all the preparing for/celebrating the festivities took its toll!
The next morning, we continued our celebration by cleaning up a bit after the day before (since JC made a no-cleaning rule on me the night before), playing with new toys, putting together new stuff, and having jamba juice with JC's mom who came to visit us!
Then, we packed up and headed out to spend some Christmas money on a new camera, like I mentioned above. Woohoo! No more blurry mess of pictures! No more lugging around a video camera to take snapshots with! This new one will actually fit in my pocket and take pretty excellent shots. Nothing fancy...I wouldn't know what to do with anything like that, so I'll save the fanciness for when I have the time to learn what I'm doing! But I love it and we've been using it ever since!
Here's some of the first shots taken on the day after Christmas...

JC and I, breaking in the camera with one of the extended-arm couple pictures.

James and I putting together my homemade pasta dryer. Yay!

He was a real pro about it. Even insisted on re-doing everything I did so it would be up to his standards.

Ben loves his new computer (so does everyone else...it's the hottest thing to fight over now)

Until they remember that everyone has one.

That night, we ate dinner at my parents' again, but this time my grandpa was cooking! So we enjoyed a delicious chicken pot pie from the crock pot. It was really so good. I think I'm going to replace my current pot pie recipe with it!

Since the gathering included my kids plus my grandpa, there was, of course, some
rough-housing....

As well as other visiting...

It was all so fun! The rest of the weekend we mostly just enjoyed each other, took it easy, and tried to not think about Monday when everything would go "back to normal.
But, we DO still have New Years' to look forward to, right? Another long weekend and some festive fun?
Plus, we only have twelve short months before we get to enjoy Christmas in all its loveliness once again!!!
I really can't wait.