South Jordan cousin time

It was a pretty quiet visit to South Jordan this Christmas.  Part of that was due to the fact that covid cancelled a lot of plans, and part of it was that we were so completely exhausted from our Florida flights and the drive out that we wanted some quiet time.  The kids played together a lot.  Stockton got some giant Tinker Toys that kept the kids entertained for hours.  They built forts, cars, towers, and even motorcycles.  It was incredible.  When they were done with the toys, they used the boxes they came in to build space ships.  Blast off!  

Christmas present distribution also looked a little different this year-Papa threw them at the kids!  It was basically a game of "500."  If the kids caught their present, they could unwrap it.  

Cambrie got a cute new Harry Potter backpack and an Hobby Lobby gift card.

The boys got more Lego Mario sets to add to their collection.  Luckily Stockton got some too so they built and played together. 

McKenzie got a Elves Lego set and a crown!  It is a real beauty queen crown and she can't wait to find an excuse to wear it.  

It was a light present year because we decided to continue what we started last year, and deliver some things to the homeless people in downtown Salt Lake.  There wasn't anyone hanging around the library or Pioneer Park, but we did find a street full of tents just a block or two away.  As we walked down the street passing out bags of food and blankets, I was struck again by how awesome my kids are.  They passed out the bags without fear.  There was one altercation when a woman yelled at me for not respecting her, and I have to say that it rattled me.  It rattled the kids too.  But everyone else was really nice and appreciative of what we had to share.  I wonder what my kids are going to do with these memories. 

The other family activity we had were family pictures!  Since we didn't have a Breakfast with Santa to get our yearly shot, we found a field near Dantley and Cydney's new house for our location.  Unfortunately the weather didn't want to cooperate and it was cold and snowing.  Despite that, I think the smiles we got out of the kids are pretty good.  They are lucky to have such an amazing extended family.

Christmas

Flying back in from Florida on Christmas Eve meant that Christmas morning started early in our house this year.  The kids were up and unwrapping presents at 4:30am!  That is a new record for us.  On Christmas Eve the kids opened their new Christmas jammies.  

We also opened the Sparkle Box.  This December the kids wanted to fill our sparkle box with pieces of paper that had written on them kind things they had done for others.  Some of them included helping their brother get ready for bed, texting a friend to say hello, helping me with some of my chores, etc.  I was really proud of the kids for having so many pieces of paper in that box.  They tried really hard to fill it as their present to Christ this year.  

Santa's cookies

I'm not sure which kids, if any, snuck down to see the tree before Christmas morning, but even if they had seen their large presents sitting out, they acted completely surprised by it all.  McKenzie got a new bar, and the boys got a rock climbing wall for their room!  It's really hard to wrap those with wrapping paper and fit them under the tree.  The morning was filled with big, happy smiles.  

Trying out the rock wall for the first time.  It didn't have all the holds up yet, and wasn't secured on the wall, but Kelton didn't let that stop him.

Stocking finds

The kids always get really excited about the presents they choose for their siblings.  Kelton got McKenzie a sparkling crystal hedgehog and a new hedgehog shirt.

Cambrie got Daxton a new Slytherin robe and made him a wand!  It looks like the elder wand and when I brought it up she told me that she had already named it the younger wand.  Clever girl.

McKenzie has been chomping at the bit to have Cambrie open her gift.  She found her a blanket that looks like apple pie.  It is incredibly cozy.

Daxton found a Lego Mario set for Kelton, and even wrapped it himself this year.

Cambrie hand painted little glasses for me.  I love drinking milk out of glass cups instead of plastic.  And most of the time I only need a little, so these glasses were perfect.  She hand painted designs on them, one for all of our big races: olives for Nice, plumerias for Hawaii, and a sunflower for Maryland.  She did a great job. 

McKenzie found this adorable Santa lantern for me.  It is incredibly sparkly!

Both Jeremy and Kelton got longboards this year.  The two of them can't wait to take them out together and cruise.

 Cambrie received a funny book full of puns. It's her Avocuddle book, and she thinks it's hilarious.

McKenzie got a squashmallow that is a Super Sloth.  Her fifth grade class has named themselves the Super Sloths, and this is a perfect mascot.

Cambrie's big gift this year took her by complete surprise.  She got a 3D printer!  

She is always looking for new ways to create, so hopefully this gets some good use.  Her very first print was a darling little piggy bank.  Now that we know it works, she has to get to work designing things.  She's already told me that she has quite a list of things she wants to print.  Now it's just a matter of designing, tweaking, adjusting, and learning this new skill and playing with her new toy.  Thankfully Jeremy was around to help her build it and get it calibrated.  It is a complicated machine.

Other fun smiles: 

Jeremy spent the afternoon assembling the boys' wall.  It has been hiding in the small garage for weeks as he prepped everything, and it's awesome seeing it up now.  The boys climbed until they didn't have any strength left in their fingers.  It is perfect. 

Besides the climbing wall, it was a Lego Mario year for the boys.  These new sets are pretty fun. They each have an interactive Mario figurine that can sense what he's standing on; water, grass, fire, bad guys, stars, coins, and other level activities.  The boys set up the levels any way they want, then take Mario through the level before the time is up.  They spent all day building their sets.  And the day after that.  And the day after that.  And the day after that.  It's a perfect combination of Lego building and their love of Mario.  We can no longer see our office floor because of the levels they've built.

Pictures of their spoils this year.  I'm just happy to see such happy kids.  It was a good Christmas.