Day after Christmas

So this is what my view was this morning ... It's not hard to smile around these guys. Much, much more playing today. But honestly I don't want to show you all what a wreck my house has become. :)
Wish me luck ...

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful day ... I hope you all did too!
Started off kind of slow ... Zaida slept in until almost 9 o'clock (which is highly abnormal). Robson was up about an hour earlier and when he saw the tree and presents his eyes lit up and he tried to make a break for it. It's amazing how young he is and yet how easily he recognized that there was something different.
Mom, Dad and Quinn came over after only about 3 gifts in. But, let me say that I LOVED that Zaida stopped opening presents to help her little brother to play with his toys. It just warms my heart. And that's why she got some good loot this year. :) Including her beloved Baby Butterscotch. Robson was digging his basketball ... He wouldn't put it down even when he was playing with his other toys.

Christmas Eve

We went to our traditional Christmas Eve dinner with Angela and Ben at the Macaroni Grill. Then Angie and Ben came over to the house to open some gifts and some Just Dance butt whooping! Zaida was so excited ... But she went to bed pretty easily though. She listened to the Night Before Christmas about four times then promised to stay in bed (which is saying something!). I went up to check on her about 10 minutes later and she was out!
Got a picture after Santa came to our house ... Looks magical doesn't it? It'll be great to see how excited the kids are tomorrow morning.

Silly Ruby

We sure are going to miss our little elf! She has been so crazy funny ... And she's really good at puzzles. But, why am I so tired?? ... It's not like I was up all night trying to complete a puzzle. :)

Eskimo night

Fun craft with our favorite Eskimo! Brought stuff to the Wheeler's house so they could make their own little Eskimos. And you can see where the orange cookies ended up. And now that I see them I am craving them again. Might need to make some more today.
Finished off the night with some ice cream bars. Look at that death grip Robson has on this ice cream. He's awesome!

Holiday Inn

Zaida and Corey fell asleep during the movie. Zaida looks so peaceful laying by the fire. Was a perfect little Christmas scene to me ... Bing and Fred dancing and singing, snowing outside, warm and cozy by the fire, great friends/family gathered on the couch watching a classic film.

Christmas cookies

I made some of my Grandma Wheelers orange slice cookies. I LOVE these cookies. I think I forget how much I love them until that first cookie. Seems like I always make a couple of batches of them within the last couple of weeks of each year.
I have some friends who think they are "an acquired taste" but maybe don't want to acquire the taste for them. :) On the flip side I have some friends who look forward to getting them each year. And I have a friend/sister that gets angry when I make them without her. :)