Christmas 2018

We had a wonderful Christmas this year.  You really can't ask for more than being with your family creating memories.  It was fun to have Juli and her family come for a visit and also Brady and his family.

We have our annual tradition of building gingerbread houses.  The kids have come to expect it.  Some brought their "A" game where other did the bare minimum.  But nonetheless it is always fun.

After building gingerbread houses, Jaxon decided to teach everyone the proper way to eat a Smartie.  You must stick in on your chin and retrieve it with your tongue.  This is something McKay and Jaxon has picked up from their Spanish teacher at school.

Jeremy was able to escape up to the mountains a couple of times with the boys to go skiing.  They went once to Brighton and once up in Idaho to Targee.  The Teton mountains were awesome looking (bottom pictures).

We have started a relatively new tradition the last couple of years where we get together and make casseroles to donate to the food and care coalition.  After we assemble and deliver the casseroles we went and got some lunch at JCW's.  We came back to the house after lunch and played games until it was time to go to Grandma and Grandpa White's house for Christmas Eve dinner and celebration.

This year marks Grandma and Grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary.  We had everyone write them a note and then put a bunch of pictures together in a book.  Jeremy spent countless hours assembling it online to get it ordered in time.  Grandma and Grandpa loved it.  Grandma even got a little choked up!

Everyone loved looking at the book with Grandma and Grandpa.  It was fun to walk down memory lane.

Above: Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandchildren.  We were missing Caleb, Olivia Cameron, Amy and Carson.  Below: Grandma and Grandpa with their kids.  We were missing Weston and Todd.

Finally Christmas morning arrived!  The boys gathered together at the bottom of the stairs in their PJs that Grandma made for them.  Oh Jaxon's hair.  He was in love with his curly locks.

As the boys came up the stairs I was in for a nice surprise!

It was nice to have McKay join us for Christmas morning.

It was definitely a different kind of Christmas without McKay here.  We did love talking to him via Skype for about 45 minutes.  It was good to see him and to be able to chat with him for a bit.  Sadly I didn't get any pictures of us with McKay.  I was too scared to mess everything up!

We had fun opening presents Christmas morning.  Even Suki got a new Christmas toy.

Kayden telling us all about what he got for Christmas.

Kayden and all his loot.

Josh explaining all about what he got for Christmas.

Josh with all his Christmas gifts.

Jaxon letting us know about his Christmas.  He was pretty excited to receive a trip to San Antonio and tickets to a Spurs game where Manu Ginobili's jersey will be retired.  He was brought to tears of joy!

Jaxon with all his Christmas presents, and oh that hair.

We received a mystery package that was in the middle of the floor by the Christmas tree when we got home from Grandma and Grandpa White's house Christmas Eve.  The package read: "To The White Family Special Santa Delivery From Elder White"  We were puzzled to know how that package got in our house and McKay wouldn't fess up, but we have our suspicions of who McKay's Secret Santa helper may have been.  Inside was a Peruvian nativity for the family, some ties for all the boys (see picture), a pencil holder for me, a gift for his Spanish teacher and a backpack for himself.

Grandma Haacke made us a fantastic Christmas dinner.  It was so delicious and the perfect thing to wrap up our Christmas night.  It was also nice to be with family.

 Kayden had lots of help putting together the Harry Potter puzzle he got for Christmas throughout Christmas break.

For New Years we went up to Idaho with all the family.  Grandma Haacke made dumplings and sauerkraut.  It was delightful and a fun way to kick off the New Years holiday.  We also unwrapped presents from cousins and from Grandma and Grandpa Haacke.  The boys and Jeremy were able to go skiing (see above).  We lost power for the better part of the day when Jeremy and the boys were skiing and it got quite chilly in the house.  But we played games in front of the fire wrapped up in blankets and went to town for lunch.  It actually made for a really fun day.  Here's looking ahead to 2019!