Christmas

We did Dalley Christmas a week for before the real day. We had a nice dinner all put together by my mom and then opened presents (we pick names out of a bowl around Thanksgiving time and give to one person/family) and picked white elephant gifts. My mom loves giving presents. I think it's one of her favorite things. :) White elephant's always fun. We got rid of old Halloween candy and a faulty smoke alarm.

Monster candy!

Oh yeah, we also got rid of a blingy $ necklace.

Thought I'd include this cute picture of my mom.

On Christmas Eve we hung out just with the kids here at our house and ate pizza, watched some kind of Christmas show, and talked about the Christmas story. It was nice and laid back. My sister-in-law has a cool tradition where on Christmas Eve they have a really nice meal by candlelight. I think by next year we may be ready for that. 

Jozie and Haven didn't wake up at any unregular time, so I got up at about 7:00 and read "The Mansion" (Pres. Monson mentioned it in the First Presidency Christmas Devotional) and eventually Jozie and Haven woke up at about 8:00. We checked out stockings first. Jozie asked for a new Hello Kitty umbrella for Christmas and she got that in her stocking. 

Then we ate a simple breakfast and then went to church since it started at 9:00. :) I wasn't too sure about fitting in Church so early on Christmas morning, but it was pretty nice to go to Church and feel the Spirit of worshiping Christ on the morning we celebrate His birth. We cheesily dressed up in Christmas colors and took some pictures. It took several tries to get a mostly good one.

The kids and I made cards for each other and for Chad, so I left those on the table to be found in the morning.

Jozie and Haven mostly got toys my mom had stored from her previous preschool teaching days, which was fine by them. Chad and I had found a music box last summer and kept it for Jozie. We put a note inside and gave it to her for Christmas. I love that when people ask her what she got for Christmas, this is the thing she's been telling them she got.

I wanted to be in a picture, so here it is:

Chad did something really thoughtful. He wrapped a bunch of boxes with notes inside of gifts I had "given" him lately (stuff I'd done for him) and addressed them to himself and opened them. 

Haven's gotten really into Polly Pockets lately, so she was excited about the great additions to our Polly Pocket collection thanks to my sister Melissa sharing her old collection with us.

It was fun to just hang out and play for the rest of the day. That night Chad's family came over and we had dinner and then did our 2nd annual Nativity Play. We also did a little musical program and I was happy that Jozie wanted to be a part of it. She sang the first verse of "When Joseph Went to Bethlehem" a capella. I think this was the first solo performance of her life. :)

The audience

Jozie's song

The Prophet Elijah

Samuel the Lamanite

Mary on the donkey

Mary and Joseph (a little bored)

Haven the shepherd with Glenda (the fabulous director)

Haven as a wise man with her camel (I love how her pigtails are helping her crown stay on)