Juhala Family Christmas

The day after Christmas we went to the Juhala Homestead (Joel's parents' house) for a family celebration.  Uncle Jesse, Janelle and Phil were all present.  We broke bread together and then exchanged gifts!  Elora was Santa Claus, hat and all, for all of the gifts under the tree.  Then  the girls had to sit on the couch and cover their eyes (no peeking!)  While the manfolk went to get the girls' gift from the other room.  Grandpa and Grandma gave the girls what is quite possibly the largest Barbie house I have ever seen, complete with furniture (the oven lights up, the fireplace makes noise and the phone rings!) accessories, some clothes, some babies and a flower covered Volkswagen beetle!  (I would have been the envy of all the girls I knew had my Barbies ever had such a mansion!  At one point all 3 girls were IN it, and Amarra can easily fit through the front door.  Which she went in and out over and over and over again.)  Now their Disney princesses and beanie babies have the loveliest of "feasts" every day in their new home.  Thanks guys!

Top o' the Mornin'

Christmas morning,  that is.  There is nothing like seeing the excitement and magic of Christmas through the eyes of small children!  I love opening presents one by one and watching each reaction!  (The Dover books were a huge hit...when it wasn't someone's turn they were probably dressing a ballerina or princess!)  Everyone loves giving as much as getting....the girls were giddy giving their gifts to us and each other..."OPEN MINE!  OPEN MINE!"  The big gifts were Elora's "pegicorn" costume, Seleia's "two wheel scooter" and Amarra's "walking horse that not-rocks".  The personalized art sets from GGB have gotten use every day!  The Christmas mugs were put away this week, but were used at least once a day until then, and we can't wait to see them again next year.  Snowmen at Night has been read so much that all of the hidden objects have been memorized!   And Mirriam provided the biggest laugh of the day!  Thank you everyone for a magnificent Christmas!!!!

The Christmas Story...Playmobil Style

Every Christmas morning as we gather our family around the tree, we give thanks for each other, our many blessings, and for the birth of Jesus Christ and what that means to us.  Joel reads the Christmas Story from the book of Luke, and the girls interject their favorite parts.  I sit back, sip my coffee and take it all in.  This year Elora brought the story to life, acting it out for all to watch with their playmobil "activity" set.  She started ad libbing once our twice ("do not fear, Mary!"), filling in parts of the story that Dr. Luke did not cover, so Joel found himself hopping around the Epistles, trying to make sure we covered all angels, shepherds and wise men.  The girls enjoyed it so much that Seleia and Amarra debated taking their own turns but, alas, the presents beckoned....

"The stockings were hung..........

...by the chimney with care.........."  Okay, so once they were filled they were laid down gently on the ottoman so as to avoid any eager children being impaled by a heavy stocking hanger in the morning.  All the same, we got new stockings this year!  Our old ones were lovely, bot oh so formal.  I really wanted something more relaxed!  They are fleece, and actually quite folksy and bright, with plenty of room for oranges in the toes!

Christmas Eve

For those who may not know, each of the girls has a special collection of Christmas ornaments from their Mimi.  Each year she bestows a new ornament upon them: a star for Seleia, a heart for Elora and Miss Amarra gets a snowflake.  (Mimi told Seleia that when she gets married she should by then have enough to fill her own tree.  Joel gave Seleia full permission to hang up on Mimi should the subject of any of his daughters getting married  come up ever again.)  This year the ornaments arrived on Christmas Eve, and the girls were giddy with excitement when the package arrived, knowing it must contain their ornaments!  While the other gifts were set aside for Christmas morning, the ornaments were opened right away and, with much fanfare, placed upon the tree.  Elora hung her sparkly new heart "right here where I can see it always" (translation: eye level) and proceeded to pose for 12 or 13 pictures with it.   During the afternoon there was baking, cooking, caroling, and at one point Seleia took a jaunt to the North Pole. Later in the evening, as the whirlwind of preparation for the Big Day settled down, we all opened our Christmas Eve presents, of which we each get one every year.  I got beautiful, long drooled after red bakeware to make Christmas Dinner that much prettier, Joel got a t-shirt stating simply "I'm An Other" (If you don't get it, don't hurt yourself trying.) and the girls each got a nightgown to sleep in that night.  They ran to put them on, then ran out so I could take their pictures in them.  Elora then posed for 12 or 13 more pictures with her ornament.  Then after Joel read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" we nestled our own little ones snug in their beds. (Had they any idea what a sugarplum actually was, there would have been visions aplenty.)