Christmas in Connecticut

Christmas was the best ever this year. I haven't been home for over 1.5 years and it just felt GREAT! This is how our Christmas morning goes:

- 5 am, the boys wake up and get all giddy talking about Christmas presents
- 8 am, the boys wake everyone else up and we go downstairs
- Christmas music is turned on, along with mom's "christmas soup" which is just smelly-good stuff over the stove, fire is build and toasty, "the Christmas Story" movie is playing in the background
- We all open our stockings (except for mom, she saves it till the end at 8pm) and gush over what we've all gotten
- We have sweatrolls for breakfast and fruit and then sit down for round 1
Basically, Christmas lasts all day at our house. We don't open presents at the same time and rush through it. We all take turns and gush over what everyone gets, taking breaks throughout the day to play with our gifts. We open our last presents late at night.
This Christmas, one of our "breaks" was talking to Elder Travy via skype who is serving in Oregon. It was the best part of the day by far!

I love how you can see the tree and Christmas Story on TV here!

Me and Jimmy waiting to open our stockings
You can't see this picture very well but it's snowy outside and we're all cuddled around the fire talking

Christmas in action!

Christmas night (I wonder what I was digging in our pile for)

It was SO FUN to get to know Daniel's wife Emily better and spend more time with her. And of course, being with the brothers is the best! Ping-pong tournaments, dominos, cards, puzzles, charades and board games...we never get tired when we're together.

I've only been back a few hours and I'm missing everyone already!