Christmas, the Real One.

We were able to be with Ernie's family this year for Christmas.  We were there 11 days, and so I decided I would start with just Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. 

We had a wonderful Christmas.  I took a gazillion pictures (at least) which I am normally bad at.  We love to be able to be there at Grandma Doreen's and Grandpa Bill's.  There are so many family members there and it is always so memorable.  

This Christmas was the traditional Sea food feast prepared by Grandpa and pizza for all of the kids (um, and maybe me) downstairs.

Caleb was Joseph for the nativity re-enactment.  Well, at least until it was actually time to walk in with Mary.  Then he got a little embarrassed.  But, I was very impressed he at least got this far :). 

I had the boys take a picture with their favorite gifts from their stockings.  Caleb is really into setting them up nicely (you'll see below a few pictures from Christmas morning).  He is such a cute kid. 

Ernie's favorite gift was his shirt.  Yep, that is my Ernie. 

After our fun night, we headed home and got to open one more present: 

Our Christmas jammmies.  

I think it was up in the air for a while......but Santa decided to make a visit to the Elliott boys.  

They were ready to go bright and early.......

Ernie got a pocket knife in his stocking, and he felt pretty grown up. 

And Caleb with his gifts from Santa.  He took about 5 minutes setting them all out perfectly before I was allowed to take a picture :). 

It was a great morning. 

We got ready and went in to Boise and went to church with his 3 sisters (who all attend the same ward). 

And I just have to say that 

I love Christmas when it is on Sunday.  I really do. 

We are so blessed.  We talk about it all the time.  We are so grateful for our family, and especially grateful that our boys have so many people that love them.  

Express Christmas

This year we went to Boise for Christmas.  (Which I will get to soon, it's only March now....) We were all talking one night, and  realized that everyone else was going to be gone for Christmas as well (either with their respective in-laws, or in my parents and 2 sisters case, on a cruise; yes a Christmas cruise). 

Thanks to the inspiration of Modern Family, we decided to have an express Christmas before everyone left.  

You can imagine there was not a lot of complaining form the kiddos :).  How many kids get to open presents early?  

My dad's pride and joy is his Christmas tree.  He loves it.  Every year he can not wait to get it put up.  I think the perfect touch would be a platform that it rotated on and maybe some music that cues as well? 

 Oh, Ernie.  I had to get a few pictures of him reading.  He makes me laugh.  The rest of us were all talking and laughing, and somehow he managed to tune out the world to read the book he got.  I suppose there could be a worse problem. 

That night on the way home, my boys commented on how lucky they were to be part of such a fun family.  

I have to completely agree. 

December Review

December whirled right past us.  We started the month off by getting our Christmas tree!  

We have loved having Nat and Mark around to go and do things like this with us. 

Every year I try to talk Ernie into getting a nice, beautiful (and very much mess free and stress free) pre-lit fake tree at the after Thanksgiving sale.  

And every year he has only one response, "fake tree = fake Christmas".  

Every year when I wake up to the incredible smell of fresh pine tree, I remember why I let him talk me into it.  

I usually get a picture decorating the tree, but this year I failed at that.  We have a little tree upstairs, and I didn't get a picture decorating that one either! But I have these (not so great) pictures of it decorated: 

   

The first weekend of December, Ernie's sister Amanda's twins were blessed in Lehi, Utah.  In true Elliott fashion, we drove up Saturday afternoon after basketball games, and then left on Sunday after lunch to go home.  Not even 24 hours :). 

Every year we want to take the boys to see the lights at Temple Square and we had yet to make it there. We decided this was our chance and chose to head to Salt Lake and stay there.  It had been years since I had seen them and I forgot just how magnificent they are.  Truly breathtaking. 

 We met some of Ernie's siblings and his parents there (which I thought I had gotten pictures of, but I didn't! I am the worst at pictures.) It was a lot of fun. 

By the time we made it up to the top of the roof at the Joseph Smith Memorial building to see the view, we realized it was 9:00 and we still hadn't eaten dinner!  So, Ernie and I took our boys to the restaurant up there and then walked back to our hotel.  It was such a great night.  We needed a little one night break as a family. Even if it means making a one day trip out of it, I decided that every year we need to go.

Last year you may remember we adopted a new member into our family.  He joined us again this December.  

The boys love Elmer.  (Although, one morning, the boys caught him playing with their Legos.  Apparently they were important pieces.  Caleb managed to get them out of his hands without actually touching Elmer- which is a no-no. We tried not to laugh.) 

We're Thankful For........

So, a few months ago we celebrated Thanksgiving.  (Yes, I am about to blog about Thanksgiving. And yes, it really is January 22nd. But that is just how I roll these days.) If you remember from this post, I adore Thanksgiving.  We were with my family this year for Thanksgiving and participated in the usual traditional turkey weekend.

Years ago my parents decided that we were going to participate in a 5k on Thanksgiving morning.  For weeks leading up to the race, we tried to talk my parents out of it.  Really, 6 am on Thanksgiving?  Were they crazy?  Well, we knew the answer to that, but it didn't matter. They really were crazy, but there was no talking them out of it. No whining or complaining worked.  (And being from a family of 6 girls, we had the whining and complaining perfected.) At least we were all in it together.  

Maybe it was the stretching that my younger sister Collette decided to lead the whole group of a few hundred people in that left us all barely able to breathe from laughing at; maybe it was the turkey breakfast waiting for us at the end; maybe it was the whole race cheering as my 70 year old Grandpa crossed the finish line (after being slightly distracted by the gardener attending to some roses along the path); maybe it was the thrill of winning prizes at the raffle at the end; and maybe it was the joy of being together. 

However, I never would have dreamed that 11 years later, we still go every Thanksgiving morning at 6 am.  

And more than that....... 

It is our very favorite part of the holiday.  

This year was a monumental one.  My 9 year old ran the whole 5k for the very first time.  Words could not express how proud we were of him.  He ran the entire time.  He and Mark ran together and they did it 30 minutes.  Pretty dang amazing for a 9 year old! 

I was supposed to run the mile with Caleb this year.  We started jogging together, however I figured out quickly that it was not going to last.  NO, he didn't get tired.  He started sprinting.  I couldn't even keep up with him.  Luckily, Layne decided to run with us and she was able to run and catch up with him. 8 minutes.  Yep, my little 6 year old ran it in 8 minutes.  I know I am bragging a little, but I think they deserve it :). 

My three boys.

 Layne, Nat, Dad, C, Claire, and Robert

 Nat, E, Mark, Big E, Dad, Claire, Robert, Layne, and C's head. 

 Both my Dad and Little E won 3rd place for their age division.  Pretty impressive!

Little E was very proud of himself.  As well he should be.  

Here are a few more pictures from the day for your viewing pleasure........

My parents neighbors, Christiana and Paul- who are very much like family, came over for dinner as well. After we were done eating and we were sitting around talking, Paul disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a surprise for the boys to see. 

I am not an animal lover.  These adorable baby tortoises that he rescued and was taking care of nearly changed me for a few minutes.  We had so much fun holding and watching them.  

(And don't worry.  The spell soon wore off after he took them home.  I am back to normal and we do not have any tortoises at our home, much to my children's dismay.)

Soon after, we went to our annual movie.  This year it was The Muppet's.  We loved it.  

And then the Roskelley's came over for pie as usual. 

I was so disappointed when the day was over.  I really was.  It was a perfect day.  And I went to bed that night with even more to be grateful for.