Christmas!

Christmas has come and gone once again and it was another great one! Tyson's parents, and his brother Shay, came to visit like they usually do. The kids got spoiled...just like they usually do, Tyson took lots of photos like he usually does and I cooked and cooked like I usually do! This first picture we are standing in front of Susan's Christmas present. Bill and Shay bought her (though I'm sure they plan on using it too!) a really nice ATV!

Drake was very excited about the Octagon Rubix cube. I thought it would be frustrating for him but he looked at it for about 15 seconds and said, "Oh, that's easy...all I've got to do is switch the corners." He's worked on it today and almost has it completely finished. So much for giving him a challenge!

Tyson and I got the kids a set of 8 laser tag guns (so they can have plenty for when friends come over) They were very excited about them and have been loving playing with them in the dark basement. I love that my carpets aren't covered in nerf gun bullets!

Lexi was so excited about her Sherlock Holmes pillow. It says I Am Sher Locked. She's a big fan of the show and has read quite a bit of the books.

Zac loved his new Adidas hoodie and long Nike socks. He put them on right away and pretty much hasn't taken them off.

Bill and Susan got the kids those really fun trampoline chairs they are sitting in. They look like spiderwebs but are so comfortable when you sit in them. The boys have been using them a lot while they play their new video games. 

Drake watched Garrett open his fitness tracker watch and was really jealous that he didn't have one. He really thought he wasn't going to get one too but was very happy when he did! They are watches put out by Unicef, the charity organization, where the kids steps are counted and you earn points. Once you've earned 10 points Unicef and their partners (Lucas Films and Target are some of them) then provide a meal for a malnourished child in a third world country. There's an app that you use to sync your steps and it also shows you little videos about the kids you're helping. So it's kids helping other kids. I thought it was a wonderful idea and just had to get them for the boys. I'm not kidding when I say I actually cried when I was telling Tyson about them and I am really not much of a crier! The boys have been racking up the steps these past two days and have already earned food packets!

Garrett has wanted a pogo stick really bad! I had wrapped it and put it under the tree but without anybody's name on it. It was just a really big, long, thin box. Garrett kept asking who it was for because he was convinced it was the perfect size for a pogo stick. One day when he was feeling down after school I told him it was his and let him write his name in giant letters on the package. It cheered him right up!

Zac got his nice Adidas hoodie, Blokus (a board game), Need for Speed (a Playstation racing game from Garrett) Time's Big Book of Why, a Nike Soccer ball, and lots of socks. The Laser Tag was picked mostly because I knew it was something he wanted. He also got a pocket knife, yo yo, and headphones in his stocking. Oh and he got a Old Spice gift set with body wash, deoderents, and body spray in it. He recently got the Old Spice shampoo Swagger scent and loved it so much he has everyone smell his hair after each shower, so of course I had to get the gift set to match!

Garrett got a nice new coat, his pogo stick, the fitness tracker watch, Rocket League (a playstation game from Drake) and sweats. He also got long socks, headphones, a pocket knife, and a yo yo in his stocking.

Drake also got a new coat and lots of different brain teaser puzzles (wood ones, metal ones and a Perplexus ball) He also got the game Q-bitz which is about patterns, a National Geographic book on reptiles (from Lexi) and his fitness tracker watch.

Lexi got a really random assortment of girlie things, make up and nail polish, pens and a journal, clothes and sweats and a cute volleyball t-shirt, in her stocking she had lots of face masks creams and Bath and Body Works lotions. Zac gave her some really cute brown boots.

I got some really fun things this year too. I got a professional, super duper, fancy blow dryer and some Aqua di Gioa perfume, a beanie, two books and Bath and Body Works lotion from Tyson. I also got a $50 Amazon card from Shay and new mixing bowls and kitchen towels from Bill and Susan. In a few days I will be getting new glasses so I'll count those as a Christmas present too.

Tyson got two very nice leather coats, a belt and a new beanie, 3 video games, and a 7x7 rubix cube from me. His brother and parents gave him a .22 pistol and he bought himself a really nice camera, lens and new tripod with his photography fund and decided that counted as Christmas too!

This year I tried to go more simple with the food so I didn't feel quite so overwhelmed, but I still ended up cooking quite a bit after all. We had cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast and then I did a big Ham dinner with all the sides. But the two days before Christmas (Bill and Susan came on the 23rd to avoid bad weather) we had Hoagies from Walmart with deli salads, and a nacho bar so those days were easier. We definitely had an abundance of good food!

I hope everyone's Christmas was as Merry and Bright as ours!