A Very Merry Christmas 2011

Our Family's Christmas break was awesome!!!

We started off Christmas break making "crusties" with friends! (We really need to come up with a new name for them). I used to make crusties with my mom and sisters and brothers when I was little girl. They were a definite favorite at our house back in the day! Crusties are made from rolled out pie dough that you use cookie cutters to get special shapes from, then brush down with butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. We added fun sprinkles and choco-chips and such to decorate our crusties with... The kids had such a fun time making them!

A couple weekends before Christmas, my cousin Tory and his family joined our family for an evening at the mission inn. We went last year and Rocco LOVED it, so we had to go again! Rocco, Zeegan, Ayson, and Macy all loved it this year too!!!

Twas the day before the night before Christmas, and we were busy, busy, busy being good! Twas the day before the night before Christmas, and we were doing all the things that a good family should! (LOVE THAT SONG!)

The friday before Christmas, Gramma Petersen hosted a cookie decorating with the cousins party at her house. Rocco jumped right in making cookies, but ZeeZee was hesitant at first. Of course as soon as the frosting came out Zeegan was all about the cookies! The kids all picked their cookie cutters and cut out as many cookies as they wanted, then while the cookies were cooking they made marshmallow towers and houses. Once cooked, the kids decorated!!! I think more frosting went into the kids tummies than onto their cookies. haha! But they had soo much fun. After eating their share of frosting and cookies; Rocco, Zeegan, Romi, and RT all went outside to run off their sugar high. Hee hee! Thanks Gramma for the fun day!!!

Christmas Eve- Twas the night before CHristmas and all through our house every creature was stirring except for our non-existent mouse. The children were flipping and flopping all over their beds, while visions of Superheroes and baby dolls danced in their heads. And I in my Sweatpants and Seth in his Jeans and just settled in to the Santa routine...

Christmas morning Rocco woke up bright and early and as excited as can be! We brought him and ZZ out to see what Santa had brought during the night... The kids LOVED their presents!

After seeing what Santa brought to our house, we went to Grammy and Bampa's house to open presents with them. Rocco got more super hero stuff this Christmas than I knew existed. lol. He was in heaven! And Zeegan got Princess stuff galore! She was ecstatic!

Can you guess what I got?! or how surprised and excited I was about it?!

After presents at Grammy and Bampa's house we went to church and celebrated the real reason for this wonderful time of year. I love Christmas time. I love what it represents! I love to think about what an exciting day that must have been for Mary 2000+ years ago and I love it when Christmas is on a Sunday, because I think it is the most fitting day to celebrate such a joyous occasion!

After Church we all went to Grandma and Grandpa Petersen's house for dinner with the extended family. So nice to just relax and spend time with family...

The day after Christmas we let the kids spend time trying out each of their new toys! They were delighted and laughed and had fun the entire time!

Merry Belated Christmas to all y'all and to all y'all a good night!

(even though it's the middle of the day right now...)