We had such a beautiful Christmas this year. Well, every Christmas has been beautiful, but this one was different. We chose to simplify this year and not host our yearly Family Christmas party so we could focus on our little family and make it a relaxing day where we woke up to presents, ate yummy food that only had to be popped in the oven (no prep work whatsoever) and just let the kids play with their toys all day! We also spent hours playing board games and just enjoying each others company. It was such a relaxing, special day and it was so nice to not have to hurry and clean up/prep for company right after present opening in the morning. We were allowed to be lazy and just enjoy the day. I honesty don't think we will ever go back... it was just too good. Plus I am literally 9 months pregnant and going to have a baby in a week so it just did NOT feel like the time to host a party. I was even having contractions that night after dinner that forced me to skip clean up and go take a hot bath just from the relaxing day that we had! So I knew that was a good call....
As is tradition, on Christmas Eve we made our cookies for Santa and laid out carrots and reindeer food that Evie had made in Preschool for the reindeer. Austin caught a sickness the previous week right as he was getting out of school for winter break so I have taken both kids to the doctors in a week's time, along with myself when I caught what they had (insert eye roll). So I was pretty worn out from taking care of sick kids but tried so hard to make Christmas magical and special despite my exhaustion. All I can hope is that we got all the illness stuff out of the way before the baby comes! I have been disinfecting the house like crazy so hopefully it helps! Anyway, I kinda got off topic there.... After cookies, we ate our traditional soup and croissants, and then went for a drive around the neighborhood to look at all the Christmas lights! Some people get really into it and it is so fun to see! We also let everyone open up their Christmas Eve gifts which is always pajamas for the kids and we let them open up a toy gift as well. This year we felt the kids were old enough to start buying presents for the family themselves, so Austin got to take money to school and pick out stuff for the family at his Secret Santa Store they were having, and I took Evie to the dollar store to pick out hers :). It was so fun seeing what they picked out for us and for each other and it was so sweet seeing how excited they were to see everyone's reactions to their thoughtful purchases! Such a priceless moment. Then, before bed, we cuddled on the couch together and watched the new Nativity movie that the church just put out and had a nice chat about the meaning of Christmas. The kids were obviously tired and had a hard time sitting still through the movie, but their responses during our conversation afterwards were priceless. It was hard for me to hold back the tears as they shared their feelings and sweet spirits.
 |
| Evie got Frozen jammies and Austin got Pikachu. They were so cute in them! |
Christmas morning I woke up before everyone (thanks to my annoying pregnancy insomnia that doesn't let me sleep no matter how tired I am) and I got ready and waited until I couldn't wait anymore. So I snuck into Evie's room and woke her up hehe! She excitedly ran throughout the house telling everyone "Wake up! It's Christmas!" and we all ran downstairs to see what Santa had brought us!! :) We were spoiled rotten this year and had so much fun spending all day playing with all these awesome toys!
 |
| Austins' big present this year was this giant remote control monster truck that is so powerful it moves our furniture and almost knocked over our TV!! It has officially become an outdoor toy, but Dad and the kids had fun with it indoors that day until Mom couldn't stand seeing her house be destroyed any longer.... |
 |
| The kids were so excited to give Dad this Poop game and we all laughed hard when he opened it :). It was a fun game to play later that day! |
 |
| Evie's big present this year was a balance bike! She hadn't asked for it, but was so excited when she saw it! She has been zooming around on it ever since thinking she is Evil Knievel and wants everyone to stop and watch all of her tricks! :) |
 |
| All in a days work, eh Pikachu?! |
 |
| Mom's present this year was some Buti Yoga workouts I have been dying to get my hands on and a new B-Aligned yoga mat that I have wanted for years but they are so expensive. The mat is sticky to help you with balance and inversions so you don't fall on your face! Can you tell I am done being pregnant and ready to get back into exercise?!! :) These days, just walking or standing is hard work so I can't wait to have my body back to do what I am passionate about..... YOGA!! |
|
Grandma Helm also showed up on Christmas Day to give hugs/kisses and hand out presents :). It was nice to see her and spend some time with her while we watched Christmas movies.
 |
| Oh my goodness I look so swollen in this picture! But I had to show the cute baby clothes she got us! |
We finished off our Christmas cuddling on the couch and watching
It's a Wonderful Life. My heart was so full as I cuddled my babies and felt the kicking of my other baby who is soon to be born! God has been so good to us and I cried many times this day out of gratitude (and hormones ;)).
I was EXHAUSTED the day after Christmas and Dad had to go back to work for the rest of the week (including Saturday) :(. So we spent that day resting and doing all sorts of crafts Santa had brought us! It was a nice, relaxing day and the kids must have been tired too because they were actually quiet as they crafted the day away!
 |
| Making homemade bath bombs! Baths were extra fun that night! |
 |
| Quietly coloring and listening to Christmas music :). |
 |
| Austin got his very own tool kit this year with real tools in it because he is always asking to use mine! |
 |
| We built a crane together! |
That Saturday, we drove up to St. George for our annual Cooley Family Christmas Party! It was so fun seeing all of our cousins and Aunts/Uncles and playing games together! We ate at Chuck-a-Rama as has become tradition and then went back to Grandma Wiegel's neighborhood club house for the rest of the party! It is so fun now that my sisters and cousins are having babies so our kids have someone to play with now! We all missed Josh, but unfortunately he always gets the crappy shifts due to lack of seniority :(. One thing that was different this year was our stop at the St. George Temple! We took the kids around the visitors center, chatted with the missionaries, and watched the new Nativity Movie that just came out. It was the same movie we had watched on Christmas Eve but the kids didn't complain since it was on a big screen this time ;). It really added a touch of the spirit to our party and I was grateful for that. I love seeing family and having parties, but I also want my kids to know why we truly celebrate Christmas. So this was perfect! I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking :).
 |
| The kids and Grandma Jill enjoying our Christmas buffet feast! Grandma and Grandpa Wiegel always pay for the whole family to eat and that is their present to us, along with the party :). I will sure miss these moments when they eventually become too old to have this party anymore.... |
 |
| Oh Grandma, we sure love you! :) hahaha! |
 |
| Not everyone was able to go to the temple because it was nap time for some of the kiddos (and almost half of our family has left the church for one reason or another) but we made it special with the people we did have! Oh and the lady at the end next to Grandma is my Mom's new homeless friend that she brought home from the mental ward of the hospital at Thanksgiving time. Her name is Annette and she is a very sweet lady who unfortunately hasn't had the greatest life (hence half of her face being blown off by a gun when her brother shot her). |
 |
| Uncle Scott teaching the kiddos how to shoot some pool! |
 |
| Making Gingerbread Houses! |
 |
| Of course Evie had to bring her new bike so she could show off her new skills! Gracelynn thought it was the greatest thing and followed her around laughing! |
 |
| Evie and Aunt heidi having their own little dance party to the song "Brown Eyed Girl" |
 |
| My cousin Nathan and his girlfriend. Like I said, it's so fun now that everyone's growing up and in a similar phase of life as us! |
 |
| Gathering around the food and chatting! |
 |
| We played this super fun game where you have to wear a card on your head and people have to act out what it says until you guess the word. It's a lot like charades but backwards and it was so much fun! |
 |
| My cousin Jayson and his cute wife Hannah. |
 |
| The kids had a blast just running around the clubhouse together and eating junk food! |
 |
| Briana and cousin Lara and their sweet baby girls :). |
 |
| I haven't had much interaction with my Mom lately (as I have explained in a previous post), so the little moments I get with her when she is stable and normal is very precious to me. It breaks my heart that I can't rely on her next week when we have our baby because she is just not in a good phase of life and you never know if she will actually show up. But I am learning to take each dip in the road as a learning experience and to love people for who they are and not focus on what they are lacking. I love you Mama, and hope that someday everything will be better. |
 |
| Gracelynn worships Evie and ran into her arms the second she saw her, giving her the biggest hug and wouldn't let go! It was so precious! |
 |
| Playing our fun game and of course the kids had to both sit on my lap with me while I was in the center of the circle.... |
 |
| So then Gracelynn had to copy them when it was Thomas's turn hehe! |
My cup floweth over, and my heart could burst open because it is so full! We may not have it all together, but together we have it all. And boy is that not the truth?! As I sit here writing this, we are down to four days until our baby is born and I can't believe it is here! It has been quite a journey this time around and my body has learned what weakness feels like. I have had to learn how to allow grace for my own self during those moments when I just couldn't do what I normally should be able to do. But because of that, I have had experiences and learned things about myself that I would have never learned. This has been such a beautiful year filled with so many experiences and I am so incredibly grateful as I look back on it all.
