Christmas Festivities

We opted to cut our own tree down this year. 

We spent a lot of time looking and finally decided we were going to go BIG 

as we had plenty of space.  Alex picked out our tree.

It was big and sort of frumpy, but we loved it! 

I love the lights at night.  

Our tree is rather eclactic, but I love all the different ornaments. 

We have a tradition where the kids each get a different ornament each year.

I try very hard to pick out an ornament that relates to something special about their year.

The kids look forward to getting their special box each year and hanging their ornaments.

It's a fun trip down memory lane.

 (From top to bottom. Guitar lessons for Alex, Gymnastics and  Russian ornament for Nadya, Ice skating for Hallie, Carter's nutcracker as he was the nutcracker prince, and Alex's very first ornament.)

Christmas Break started early around here as we all experienced our first (of many) snow days!

It was good timing considering Alex was sick and I would have been home with him anyway.

Nadya and Carter enjoyed the snow though, while Alex pretty much stayed on the couch.

 

Luckily Alex perked up, so he didn't miss out on sledding in Iowa.

 

Grandpa came over to give Hallie her Christmas gift before she headed off to Utah.

He gave her a very special gift.  She received the watch he had given to her Grandmother on her 16th birthday.  He took it in and had it refinished and it looked brand new.  Hallie wasn't quite sure the meaning of it until she read the card and then they both teared up.   

Hallie was very touched to receive such a thoughtful gift.  She wears it everyday.

Christmas wouldn't be the same with out baking cookies around here, 

so we baked, and baked, and baked.

A few lucky family members each received one of these-

Hallie left for Utah and we had our first Christmas Celebration with the entire Johnson Clan.

Grandpa reserved the Church basement for our family get-together considering we are such a large group.  It worked out great!  My pics are a bit blurry as they were just with my iphone and the light wasn't great, but they do the job of capturing the moment.  

Gpa bought all the little grandchildren and great grand children matching overalls-- 

Blue for the boys and pink for the girls.

(would you look at all that blue!)

(Missing Rexton as he was sick.)

For Christmas Eve we said our good byes to Rudy, our elf.

Rudy left us a special message and I found that Carter left one back rolled up in a napkin.

Alex left one last plea for Santa. (Something about a real 3-wheeler)

The kids each got to open their Christmas Eve Jammies-- Doug and I too!

 

The kids received their special ornament-

They all got the same one.  A Cardinal bird.  

It represents our move to Iowa and their first year at a new school.

The boys tracked Santa as they have for a few years now and then they were all off to bed.

 We have had problems with the kids guessing their presents in the past, so this year we decided to give the kids reindeer names so they couldn't figure out which gift was for who. 

 It was a hit! It drove the kids crazy!  

There was a bit of joking about who was Vixen.  :)

Christmas morning the kids woke us up and reported that Santa 

did indeed visit the Johnson household.  Perhaps they had doubts?

The boys were all about skylanders this year and

the girls were mostly interested in smelly lotions and clothes. 

Alex did not get his 3-wheeler this year as it wouldn't fit in Santa's Sleigh

and he is just not big enough yet.

Santa left chess and checker pieces for the kids.

All the kids have enjoyed playing, 

but Carter has really taken a liking to chess and is  quite good.

 

Later that evening, Nadya and I prepared Christmas dinner. 

 It was my traditional Christmas Danish Dinner.  Yummy!

I love this picture.   It captures my Russian daughter prepping a Danish feast!

Love her! She is always such a help in the kitchen.

The kids all anxiously looked for the almond to see who would receive the extra gift and  I was surprised to see that Carter found it again!
Hallie was super sad to miss out on rice pudding as it is her favorite dessert.
Grandpa gave Nadya a special gift-- Grandma's locket.
He is going to put a picture of the two of them in it.
This was our first Christmas with out Grandma and she was greatly missed.

Of course we had to celebrate again when Hallie came home.
She was greatly missed by all and especially the boys.
When she came in the door the boys ran and yelled her name over and over
while wrapping their arms around her. Melt my heart!