Christmas!

Yes, this is after-the-fact. And it's more for documentary purposes than reading entertainment. Sorry.

Christmas was swell. Pretty dang happy about that, too. Especially since last year was a bit tarnished by the stomach flu we passed around, and I totally feared we'd repeat that scene again since I spent most of the week leading up to Christmas in bed. With the flu.

Happily it went away and we went to Houston! Yay! We were able to be with the Nick & Lexye Thiele family and it was truly lovely. We got there later than we'd hoped (Christmas Eve evening), and Lex was plenty busy with a newborn, so it was pretty was low-key, and yet fun, entertaining, and man! the food was GOOD! Can I just say that Lex & Nick truly understand the value of snack food and treats? Mmmmm.

Now for the documentation:

Kids waiting so very patiently (yeah, right) Christmas morning, and both dads heroically helping out:

(note that Mark is holding his iPad? yes, well, we call it his "Precious" for a reason!)

Santa-gifts are always left out, unwrapped and put-together. I seem to recall that's how it was growing up, but Lexye didn't remember it that way. Hmmm. I also figure it helps that they can immediately play with the toys and you don't have to spend your morning assembling everything. As an added bonus, if you don't actually have the boxes for the toys b/c you bought them second hand, no one is ever the wiser! ...well, unless you announce it on your blog, that is.

I'd like to mention and especially thank Angela and Sara Newman for the donation of the 14 Barbie dolls + clothes & accessories!! Santa's budget was meager this year (is there anyone NOT suffering from this economy?!), but thanks to Sara's outgrowing her Barbie collection at a very (generously) convenient time for us, and a fortuitous steal of a deal on Craigslist back in August, our kids never had a clue. The magic of Santa lives on! Plus, I had a grand time fixing up hair, dressing dolls and posing the ensemble for the display :) THANK YOU!

Mark & Hyrum putting together the "Mystery Machine" from Scooby-Doo.

Lex tried to not let me get a pic of her--

she held Kate up to "intervene." It just made for a weird pic.

Happy boys!

Total success!

...except for the "nice" picture in Sunday attire...

Thank you, Thieles! and Merry Christmas, everyone!