Friday, December 31, 2010

Christmas Morning

December 25, 2010 - Christmas morning at home

We recently started staying home for Christmas since the kids are older and can remember having Christmas morning in our own house. Ed made a delicious breakfast casserole this year. We always have the kids open their stockings first. Then we had Oliver play Santa and hand out the gifts. Everyone watches as each person opens their gift. This tends to stretch out the excitement and fun more!

2010 Christmas Tree

Eden and Oliver

Ollie scoping out some gifts to hand out...

I got Ollie some marbles and a marble mat online that he loved. One of my favorites was one that was painted to look like the Earth. We've been playing marbles a lot lately... usually around 3 am as neither one of us can sleep!!

It looks like this box of cars should be a baseball glove... hence the sporty pose. Jaren LOVES matchbox cars and thinks each and every one he finds are his!

An Air Hog motorcycle -- The big guy came through for him!

Eden LOVES her blue camera!

This year I started taking pictures of the kids and the stuff they got each year. My mom used to do that for us and I love to see the stuff that was popular each year!

Oliver - age 9

Eden - age 8

Jaren's loot minus Jaren, age 3 1/2

Jaren playing with the 'Boom-whackers' from West Music.

Aunt Jamie, Uncle Danny and Carson all came over to rock it out with Rock Band on the Wii.

Finny, age 1, and Uncle Danny. I LOVE this picture!


Christmas afternoon at Ed's parents house


Finny and Ed

Ollie and his 'pieces of eight'!

Finn and Grandpa Palmer

Love this picture of Carson and his little Buddha belly!

Bear examining Carson's present!

Jare was tickling Carson. They have lots of fun playing together!

Jaren petting Buddy. I'm surprised he's not growling and bearing his teeth in this picture! It took me 8 years to get that dog to stop harassing me! :O)

Christmas at Mom's & Our Christmas Eve Dinner

CHRISTMAS AT MOM'S -

Mom's tree the kids helped to decorate. Ollie loves decorating the trees.

Finny mooching some goodies from Uncle Bryan

Ollie the kid and Ollie the elephant :O)

She's all set for a "Dexter" marathon!

Helping Finny open some presents.

*LOVES*

Willie opening his present!

Ollie and Max. He's gotten so big!!

Wrestle Mania! Finn's even getting in on the action!

Max hiding in the box.

Willie likes the silhouette of himself that I made for my mom!

Gram loves Dexter!

Opening gifts

Daddy and Jare Bear

Finny

Ollie's Treasures

Eden's Treasures

Jaren's Treasures

Finny's Treasures

And... the night wouldn't be complete without a pic of Jaren with his hands in his pants! What a funny kid!


*****


CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER & ROCK BAND


Christmas Eve Dinner
THE MENU:
Bruschetta
Red, Green and regular cheese filled tortellini
Tossed green salad with yellow tomatoes
Sparkling cider

Molten Lava Cakes with Strawberries


Who is this wild man?! George of the Jungle, perhaps?!

Ed, Jaren, Uncle Chad, Grandma, Eden, Phineas, Oliver and Uncle Bryan
Ollie always loves lighting the candles... hence the lighter in his hot little hand! Don't worry, he only uses it when an adult is present! :O)

Opening a gift from a friend of my cousin's who wanted to get Oliver a big Christmas surprise!

I think the kids had a little too much fun in the packing peanuts!!

At last... it was ROCK BAND! What a fun gift! We've had a blast playing it this Christmas vacation! Thank you, Mona!

Oliver likes the guitar the best!

Let's get ready to ROCK!!!