Christmas Celebrations!

We hope everybody out there had a Very Merry Christmas! Christmas around here was pretty crazy, but a lot of fun too. We got to see family that we usually only see a few times a year, we got to eat lots of food and open lots of presents. Most importantly though we got to read about the birth of Jesus in the bible and remember what Christmas is all about. I took 117 pictures over 2 days, and it was hard to pick which ones to post. I didn't feel like posting all 117 though, so if you want to see some more you'll have to go to my picture website at brisheaf.shutterfly.com. There is some extra pictures there.

On Christmas Eve Scott's sister Tracey always has a party at her house. We play games, eat lots of food and open presents from Scott's sister and his mom. Here is me and my two kids at her house...Owen has already started in on the food! Tracey got a Wii a few months ago, so we played that this year. I tried out bowling and boxing. I don't think anybody needs to buy a Wii Fit. Just play the boxing game. Tracey and I were wiped out after going two rounds of the boxing game. I totally knocked her out though...Woo Hoo!

Here is Scott helping Holly open one of her first gifts. She got lot of new toys and clothes.

Here is my favorite present of the year! Who could ask for anything better? I did also get 5 new ornaments at the Christmas Eve party. I was very excited. We are definitely going to need a bigger tree next year though.

Back at home we were visited by Santa Claus! Here is Holly on Christmas morning. I tried to get Owen in the picture, but he wouldn't cooperate. We ended up reading from the Bible on Christmas morning since we got home so late on Christmas Eve. It was nice to read the story of Jesus's birth before opening presents. It probably would have been nicer if Owen would have sat still and Holly wouldn't have been crying, but I guess we can't expect too much just yet.

I like this picture of Owen standing with his fingers in his mouth and Holly's little head poking out over his shoulder!

Holly got a bunch of new toys and clothes for Christmas. She didn't seem too impressed. Owen actually seemed more impressed by the toys Holly got than by his own new toys. We are going to put her toys away until she can actually play with them, and before Owen destroys them!

Owen got all toys, except for some shirts from Grandma and Grandpa Owens. When he opened the clothes he just kind of tossed them to the side, it was pretty funny! It was fun watching him open his presents this year though. Last year he didn't really get it yet. He got his first Big Wheel, which Scott got to spend hours trying to put together. Unfortunately his feet don't quite reach the peddles when they are pushed all the way out. I guess he will have to grow a few more inches...oh well, it's cold outside anyways.

Here is Scott with his new Popcorn Popper from Owen. A few weeks ago Scott was chasing Owen through the house. Owen had Scott's previous Popcorn Popper in his hands and Scott was trying to get it away from him. Owen decided to let the evidence go and he chucked the popcorn popper to the side. The Popcorn Popper broke. So Owen got him a new one for Christmas! Scott also got some new socks, slipper, a few games and an Ipod...just what he wanted.

Here is me with my new camera. Our old camera has taken quite a beating from Owen, so it was time to get a new one. So Merry Christmas to me! Owen got us a picture of himself in a frame he made at daycare. It was very sweet!

We had two very sleepy kids after all the present opening.

Owen is so snuggley!

My parents got Holly a bunch of new clothes for Christmas. Here she is in the little Christmas dress they got for her. This dress would only look cute on a little girl...I don't think I could pull it off! Holly looks so cute in it though! Apparently there is more clothes waiting for Holly in Utah too. I never knew it could be so fun dressing a girl!

During the afternoon on Christmas we always head over to Scott's other sister's house. Scott's brother also comes over and we exchange gifts there. We were mobbed with presents for the kids at their house, it was pretty crazy. But Owen and Holly are the first kids in the family in about 20 years! Here is Holly with her cousin Erin. Erin is 23, she has a brother named Sean who is 21. Sean was the last baby born in the family until Owen. So I guess everybody was excited about having kids to buy for again because they went nuts buying toys and clothes.

So there you have it...our crazy but fun Christmas. Obviously you can tell from the picture I ate way too many cookies this year, but they were good cookies! Usually I am sad when Christmas is over, but not this year. It was great to celebrate it with my two kids, kids make Christmas more fun and satisfying again. Now I just have to figure out what I am going to do with the mountain of toys they got!!!