Christmas Morning

Annie woke up coughing really hard around 5:30AM.  She was crying, because she thought she was going to throw up, so I brought her back into my bed with me (I'd been up since 3AM -- yay for pregnancy insomnia!), gave her some asthma medicine and cuddled up together to get back to sleep.  A few minutes later, we were both obviously still awake, and I asked her if she knew what today was.  She giggled, and whispered, "Christmas!  And I think Santa came already . . . we've all been asleep for awhile, and he comes when you're sleeping."  We cuddled up again, I told her to try and sleep a bit longer and we'd go downstairs in an hour or so.  After a minute or two of silence, she quietly started to sing, "Up on the Housetop" and smiling at me.  I think it is one of my fondest memories of the entire day.  She did fall back asleep (I did not), but Isaac woke up around 6:15 or so, Annie was awake again by then, and at 6:30 I was just like, "Let's go get Ellie and get going!"  So, I ran downstairs to get the camera out, and soon the girls, then the boys, came down the stairs . . .

 

The girls were THRILLED to find Bubble Tape in their stockings (and various other candies and treats, but gum was the high point), and were totally surprised to find a GUM BALL MACHINE under the tree for the family.  That Santa, always going above and beyond.

 Isaac was happy with his new train and animals, but mostly with his M&Ms.  The kid was SO congested, and still teething like 4 teeth (for over 8 weeks now, people!!) that he just dripped chocolatey fluids all morning.

 Me and the kids.

Greg with the two little ones -- right about the time Isaac hit his first wall.  Poor kid felt pretty miserable all day (Dad did too, they both got naps later that day while I was visiting family with the girls).

Then my family came over to open gifts, Greg's parents came over with a delicious breakfast and then went to Church with us, and then after Church we went to my parent's house where we got to Skype with my little brother in Uruguay (his reaction to Ellie, "She sounds JUST like Annie when I left!  She wasn't really talking much when I was still in Utah!")  Greg and Isaac napped most of the rest of the day while the girls and I went to my Aunt Judy's house, then to my Grandma's house.  Then we came home and Greg made my sisters, Mom and I yummy, fresh scones and we played card games until late.  I'll post more pictures from the rest of our day later, but I wanted to get some of just my cute little family up for now . . .