Christmas Day 2013

Christmas morning arrived at the Peterson household!

They excitedly came downstairs on cue.

Addie was so sweet taking Emmy over to her toys first, before she headed over to check out her loot!  Go, Addie!!!

Emmy picked out her favorite present early on, SIXLETS!  After she found those, her whole purpose was convincing people to open them for her.  Yes!  She did eat multiple packs before breakfast!!!

While Emmy was interested slightly in her baby doll with matching pjs, Em got a bit confused about who was the baby.  Em thought the baby needed to move over and let her take a ride or a...

...stand in the baby's accessories!

Other than dolling up, getting a baby doll, she also got dolled up with jewelry and a super cute purse!

How cute is she!?!

Finally, Em decided to debuted Jed's underwear (which he calls panties...eek, he has too many sisters!!!)!  While Jed wanted nothing to do with them :'(  Em was happy to sport them proudly!!!

Da da da dum...Jed (and Em) wanted something to do with our family gift, a digital piano!

As for JED,

he got pretty excited by what Santa brought him!

He got even more ecstatic by Grandpa and Grandma Pete's gift for him!!!

Grandpa knew Jed needed these the second he saw them.  He does love them, but he makes me slightly concerned by how he tries to us them as weapons, rather than as tools.  I know this is classic boy behavior, but YIKES!!!

Jed got sick of being photographed!  Can you tell?  His grumpy pushing away of the camera made for an even cooler picture.  Thanks, buddy!!!

Lexi was super happy with her many gifts centered around "My Little Pony!"

She also liked her homemade basket gift from her sis.

One of our traditions is the finding of someone from our Nativity that has been hidden.  Before we open the wrapped presents, they have to seek out the hiding figure.  Upon finding it, we discuss the importance of that character's role!  It is a simple and small thing we do to pause and try to remember what Christmas morning is really all about.

Addie got her long dreamed about Rainbow Loom, an Infinity, and ...

She got a cotton candy maker.  Let excessive sugar intake begin ;o)

I got some really nice presents, helping my job in the kitchen be a lot easier!

Some of my favorite gifts were Lexi's sweet, homemade/repurposed gifts!  Thanks, sweet girl!!!

Ha ha...funny story...

Jared came home from a haircut he got a week or two before Christmas.  A few hours after getting home he brought up a conversation he had had with the beautician.  She had asked what he was getting for his wife for Christmas.  He told her what he was getting me (nice serving dishes, knives, dish drying pads, etc.).  Once he finished, she asked him what he was going to get "FOR HER!"  Jared was confused!!!  She continued telling him how her first husband always bought her gifts like that, too.  She said that after he bought her kitchen stuff, he always encouraged her to go use it to make something, so she said it was really a gift for him.  She told Jared that he should get me a gift card to a spa instead, for a massage, or something like that.  He tried to explain that his wife had never been to a spa or had a professional massage, and thought that would not fit me.  She assured him that I would LOVE a massage!  

When he shared the story with me, I could tell that it had made him second guess his sweet, surprise gifts for me!  While she was well intending, I am sure grateful that my sweet hubby knows me!  I would much rather get a gift that I will get to use for years, that will make my day to day life easier, rather than having a spa day!  Let me clarify that I overall do not think that having a spa day is less worthwhile; it is just not my style.  For some, like the beautician that Jared talked to, that would be a great gift, but people are different.  I love the gifts my amazing hubby bought for me, because he knows me and knows what makes me happy.  It is fun that we are all different!  One gift certainly does not fit all!!!  

While I did not surprise Jared (he likes to do research about the best brands, prices, styles), my gift to him was telling him to purchase a laptop for his Christmas gift!  He was super happy to finally get to open it and put it to good use, studying for his upcoming boards and more easily keeping track of the scouts progress!  He had been sweet and had gone without one all throughout residency, so making the plunge to really purchase it only happened after more needed encouragement from me!!!  Happy day;o)

Look how stinkin' cute my mommy is!!!  I would say the same for my dad, but he was feeling camera shy!

This calendar has quite the story.  First, it was going to be for our family, but upon me accurately guessing what it was out loud, instead on whispering it into Lexi's ear, she revoked it from us!  She decided to give it to Grandpa and Grandma instead!  The day or so before they would be flying back home, Lexi decided that it 'might not fit' into their luggage;o) ha ha ha!  So, the plan ended up being that she would keep it here, and then they could see it when they came and visited.  Isn't she so generous!?!  We may need to go over gift giving etiquette with her sooner than later!!!

Addie gave them this cute bag that she had made them at school!

Since we had gone in on a patio set for my parents with my siblings, we decided to get them just a couple small and silly gifts to enjoy on Christmas day.  I got my mom "special toothpicks" and the closest thing I could find to kazoos to commemorate her mother and Christmases past!

I got my dad miniature horses, named Chuck-a-Luck and Sizzle Bit, to commemorate his horses that he had gotten as gifts growing up.

After they were opened, we immediately put the kazoos to good use, trying to kazoo out a couple Christmas songs, ...

...just like my Grandma Mitchell had us do for multiple Christmases!

Their final gifts were 'service ornaments' that the girls had made on their art day!  Each had something that the girls would do for them on the day that they hung them out on the door.  Some included giving a hug, giving a kiss, scratching their back, making their bed, bringing them breakfast in bed, etc.  The kids may have enjoyed it even more than Grandpa and Grandma, as it was kind of like a fun game for the next week:)

What a very, Merry Christmas!