Christmas Day

"Christmas is once a year and now itʻs here, and now itʻs here!"  Christmas morning starts the same every year and we serenaded our kiddos at exactly 7am.

Looks like Santa sailed on over to Kauaʻi.

Personalized blankets and skateboard-ish theme.

Owen drew a sweet picture to give the elves before their Christmas evening departure.  (This year, Kate emotionally begged them to stay and hide a few more days and they surprised us all by hiding a few more nights.)

Zac, snuggled up in his new blanket.

We made some fancy omelets which Owen mixed with stocking candy and hot cocoa.  The stockings had make-your-own-snow, and they made some of the slushy snow right after breakfast.

Grandma and Grandpa Edwards sent each kid a poem telling them to buy a Christmas present since they are at Cove Fort on their mission.  The kids were thrilled with the cash.  Owen bought a robot snake with it, something we are 100% sure Grandma would have avoided.  

They still managed to do the 12 Days of Christmas for the kids and it was another year of thoughtful, sweet notes, ideas, and peanut clusters.

Family game from Janece.  Canʻt wait to play it!

Roxy, the other reindeer.

Kate loved her Hot Dog stand for her dolls.

Owen is ready for the next size glove, and for another season of tee-ball next year.

I ordered Bradyʻs surf board months ago and just got the call that it is ready.  I had very little for him otherwise, and almost nothing he didnʻt return.  Wife fail, but super excited for him to ride his new board with his new board shorts and okay with the fact he rejected some of my safety running presents.

Zacharyʻs favorite gift: a wall hanging for his room.

Kateʻs favorite present: the pointe shoes we won at the silent auction of Nutcracker.  Sheʻs not ready for pointe but really excited to take these off her wall and put them to use when that time comes.  She danced around in them for a bit before we hung them.

Rainbow socks for days:

Eager anticipation:

Owen loves his art kit from Grandma and Grandpa Nufer:

Love her expression as she opens up the Nutcracker ornament. 

Puppy presents!

Zachary biked to Longʻs to get Roxy this little jar of peanut butter and drinks for me and Brady.

Kateʻs gift to Zachary: gloves for football.

Zacharyʻs gift to Owen: hot wheel circuits.

A thoughtful present from Nic and Heidi.

Post-present family selfie.

Lite Brites!

Brady and I snuck in a run while the kids played with presents, then we spent the afternoon surfing.

Our big family gift was a Nintendo Switch and a new trampoline.  We spent the next afternoon playing Mario Kart and Just Dance.

Owen loves his SmartArt kit.

Kate loves her new board.  She saw a price tag on it and wondered how it works for the elves and if they sometimes get the gifts from a local surf shop.

Skating into spectacular sunsets.

Merry, Merry Christmas!  It was a lovely season for us.  We love this stage of parenting and celebrating with our kids.