When you live far away from family, your friends become your family during the Holidays. We had a great Holiday celebrating with friends and with our little family. Christmas is magical and I want my kids to have great Christmas memories (since I never had Christmas growing up it is really for me and them!). We had a great Christmas Eve with friends, Christmas morning with our family, and Christmas afternoon with the missionaries for dinner. It was so fun having them call their families and seeing their excitement to speak with them. I kept commenting to Mitch how it was such a wonderful Christmas. I can’t imagine it being any better.
Emerson at his preschool Christmas program. They sang some songs and gave us some handmade gifts. It was really sweet (minus Santa—Santas just kind of creep me out).
The weekend before Christmas at the Minneapolis Holidazzle parade. Last year they are doing it! It was cold ;|
Christmas Sunday before church:
The weekend before Christmas Emerson’s sunbeam teacher invited all the kids over to go sledding and decorate gingerbread cookies and drink hot cocoa. YES please! 
Making a large batch of cookies to decorate with the kids.
After the Nativity and dinner & decorating Santa cookies with friends we came home and read The Night Before Christmas, and watched Mr. Krueger’s Christmas with the kids. We watch this every Christmas Eve and it always makes me cry! Here we all are in bed watching it. After the kids went to sleep we had a few extra presents to wrap for the kids and each other. We watch The Sound of Music every Christmas Eve. Oh it is the best movie ever. Love it so much.
We started the morning by opening our sparkle box, of our gifts to Jesus from the month of December (written on slips of paper). These included things like Emerson helping Genevieve or the kids doing service, etc. It is the best way to start Christmas morning. We always try to explain that we give gifts to others as Jesus gave us the greatest gift and I’m hoping it sticks one year. Emerson kept asking me before Christmas to do nice things he could put in the box. It was great opening the sparkle box - but after that the madness of other gift opening ensued. Our families had sent so many gifts too it was a bit overwhelming.
Henry watched the unwrapping from my lap. 8 month-old baby plus lots of wrapping paper equals a paper choking accident waiting to happen!
This kid sure loves his Legos. Between us and relatives he got 3 new sets for Christmas.
Santa left the kids’ gifts under their tree. Emerson got the Hot Wheels Skateboard he’s been dying for (really have no clue where that desire came from! Had never even heard of a Hot Wheels Skateboard) and Vieve got her princess castle. The kids played all day with their new toys. It was pretty dreamy just having them play all day while I got the food ready. 
The missionaries came over late afternoon. We had dinner and then they called their families. I made a turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, stuffing, green beans, and an orange cranberry sauce. I also made a pumpkin pie (Mitch’s favorite!) and I may have also purchased a Costco apple pie (my absolute most favorite pie ever). Yes there was TOO much food but yes it was really fun. Should have snapped a pic with the Elders. They played toys and puzzles with the kids and were so fun to have over!
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