Merry Christmas!!!

This week was full of Christmas fun, good food, family and friends.  Christmas eve was snowy and cold.  We ran a few last minute errands and then decided to go ice skating with Brett & Teresa and their kids.  Everyone had tons of fun!  The kids did great and were getting good, by the time we left.

After ice skating we went to G &G Shields house for Christmas Eve Celebrations.  We had a delicious turkey dinner, program, songs, and gift exchange between the kids.



The kids were all really crazy and hyper, so excited for Christmas Day!  Taylor and Danny played their ukeleles for everyone.  They are getting good, and sound great.




The kids opened some gifts from Grandma & Grandpa and then opened their cousin gifts.  It was a lot of fun!

After the party, we headed home to continue the fun.
The kids opened their gifts from "The Elves" which were new, cozy PJ's.  We tucked everyone in bed around 9pm, they were all worn out from the fun day.



Christmas morning came a little too early, the kids woke up at 6AM.  But we didn't start gifts until around 7:00.  Poor Lizzie was drug out of her bed and she had no idea what was happening.  Everyone was so excited, they were too anxious to wait for Danny to make the fire.  But we made them wait!

We opened gifts and then sat around in the mounds of paper, and boxes.  Lizzie was tired by 8am, so she ate breakfast and went back to bed. 

Lizzie got a doll, with highchair/carseat/accesories and some new clothes.

Isaac got his beloved bow & arrow.  He was SO excited about it! He also got some shoes, clothes and Legos.

Emily got a red ukelele, some clothes and an easy bake oven. She played her ukekele all day- and we made a couple batches of tiny cookies in her oven.  She was thrilled!

Taylor got a new bike, a cool circuit board set, shoes and clothes.
He was so happy to see his bike, it has gears and a device that tells how far and how fast you ride. 

Everyone was very happy with their gifts.  It was a magical time seeing the kids unwrap their presents and get so stoked about their toys etc.. 
Elizabeth didn't understand what was going on, but she loved getting new toys, and eating candy from her stocking.  She is at such a fun age!!!

We spent a nice, relaxing day at home. G & G Wall came to visit and we ate lunch with them.  Grandpa Wall helped Taylor build a radio from his ciruit board set, and it was really cool!
We basically stayed in our PJ's all day, it was so nice!

The next day it was snowy again, so we went bowling ( unfortnately I didn't take any pictures. )

Thursday it was still snowing and we decided to go sledding.  I took the kids to Sugarhouse park. The kids all loved sledding down the hill, even though it was freezing cold.

Taylor and Jeffrey were standing on their sleds and going over the big jump.  They landed it a few times, and thought it was so great.
It was a great way to wear out all the kids. 

That night we did a cousin sleepover. We had Jeffrey & Spencer sleep at our house and Emily went to Mary's house. 
We got pizza and watched a movie.  The boys all stayed up late and slept in a fort.
The next day Isaac and Spencer played Legos, magnets and ran around in the snow.
Taylor and Jeffrey played games, and made a snow fort.
 Emily and Mary went to "color me Mine " and painted cups.
It's so fun having cousins nearby to do these fun sleepovers!!

Later that night we went Springville to see aunt Jennifer and Kari and Paul and their kids.  Unfortunateyl I didn't take any pictures!.  After visiting there we went to the extended Shields Family Late Christmas party. 

It was a fun night, dinner, talent show and white elephant gifts exchange.  This party is a crazy one, and it goes really late. We left around 9:45 and we were the probably the first family to leave.  Here's everyone getting organzied for the talent show.

Becca sang "White Christmas" for our portion of the talent show, it was so cute!

Grandma Shields was loving every minute of this party, she is a lot of fun to be with!

Overall we had an amazing Christmas week celebrating the birth of our Savior.  We feel so grateful for all of our many blessings. 

 It was so nice to have the kids home from school all week, and get to relax and do fun activities. We have another week of school off, so this week will be another fun week.

Merry Christmas!!!