"Christmas is all around me, c'mon and let it snow..."

I love Christmas, especially THIS year! I was in New Zealand for Christmas last year, so I was stoked for this Christmas. The food, the sights, smells, time with family and friends, and the reason for the season, Jesus' birth. We had Christmas Wednesday night because the sibs were at their in-laws for Christmas this year. So we opened gifts and then had our traditional fondue dinner. We go all out and have not only cheese fondue but beef, chicken and shrimp (this we dip/cook in olive oil)! Chad and Bryan always see who has the most shrimp tails left after dinner. They ate themselves sick. Jack, Haylee and Mitch got a ton of toys and it took about 2 hours to open all of our gifts. Our family has now doubled in size, 10 people, so the gifts were abundant! On Christmas day Mom, Dad and I drove to Spokane to spend it with the LaVines (Chad's parents). We had a great time and awesome Christmas!!

Grandma Johnson with her 3 grand kids!

Jolly little elf sitting in his bumbo.

All the presents before the unwrapping fest of 2009.
We couldn't fit all of them under the tree.

My little Buddy.

Katie all peaceful in the mayhem of gift opening.

Dad's attitude towards opening presents. :)

Haylee's first Christmas. She knows how to get it done.

My present from Bryan and Katie. I had no idea what they got for me...

This is a picture I drew of my face in an art class at Whitworth my freshman year. The assignment was to draw a picture with pastels of our face, using shapes. Katie and Bry found it downstairs at Thanksgiving (I put it there years ago and forgot about it) and had it custom framed for me. I was totally surprised!

Haylee was a little overwhelmed.

Jack playing with his Lincoln Logs I got him. The first of MANY toys he received.

Some of the aftermath...

My new North Face ski jacket. The first jacket I've gotten since high school, 10th grade.

So my mom thought she was getting Chad camouflage pj's. She didn't realize they were actual deer print. Chad called them his " Mighty Stag Pants." So funny. Mom got Bryan fish pants, in his words "I caught you a delicious bass" pants. We had quite the laugh!!

The 3 cousins again.

Cutie Mitch.

Kim and Haylee at LaVines.

Jack riding Brad the "reindeer."