Christmas 2025

Christmas Eve!  Breakfast before church!

We enjoyed a joint service at the church with 2nd ward and the Spanish Branch. 

A family in the other ward owns the Crumbl Cookie. He brings the extra cookies to church on Sundays and we happened to get some today!

After church we did a Christmas Eve dinner/lunch.  The Mabundas, Petersons and Elders joined us. 

We read the Nativity story by candlelight--loved this!  Next year I want to have parts for everyone and also songs. 

Merry Christmas!

What's up Santa?!

That evening we went to the Washington DC Temple Visitors' Center to see the lights and attend a performance. 

Sadly we didn't like the performance.  We stayed for a over a half-hour, but then left. 

Lee and I wrapped presents Saturday night.  Sunday evening we set everything up for Christmas morning. 

Pumpkin pie for breakfast--a tradition around here!

Sheldon and Ciera stayed at our basement during their visit.  I bought them matching pjs so we could all match on Christmas. 

Kid fun!

Time to see stockings from Mom & Dad.  We don't "do" Santa at our house.  Ever since the kids were little I would tell them outright, with no prompting from them, that Santa wasn't real (same for the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy). Christmas for us is about celebrating our Savior and his birth. No point in drumming up belief in a guy who spies on you all year and somehow leaves gifts....even in houses with no chimneys. Plus gifts don't come from no where, they come from real people, family and friends. I love the idea of Santa with giving and we watch movies with Santa in them and I love the story 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  

Gift opening is always fun!

Sheldon got Lee a gun!  Now Lee will just build it out with other pieces. 

It was even foggy Christmas morning! If you can't have snow, fog is a fun alternative!

Our signs from Mike!

Snacks for the afternoon. 

We played a cash game where everyone started out with a certain number of $1 bills that I gave them.  Then each person took turns rolling a dice, which determined what you did with the money...pass to the left or right, put it in the middle or keep it. 

I divvied up 50 $1 bills and Ciera was the winner!

Pulled pork for dinner!

As you can see we hung out the rest of the day playing with gifts, eating, watching movies and talking to Elder Robertson.  We had a fun day---one of the best days of the year!  It goes too fast!  Shanna worked that day at the waterpark for double pay.  It wasn't too bad either as she worked from 3pm to 8pm.  Still time for morning fun and evening festivities.