Christmas Day

 We had a wonderful Christmas celebration. We were home this morning and spent the rest of the day with my family. Here's our day in pictures:

Anna unwrapped a bitty baby and promptly wanted to undress her.

 

Aliza was pretty surprised to receive an American Girl doll. Marie-Grace. My father-in-law called me one morning and told me that the Today Show was featuring American Girl on their Steals N Deals special. I went straight to the computer. They had 2 dolls and a bed for 60% off. I have never seen these dolls on sale. I bought both of the dolls and the bed. I figure I have pre-paid some other occasions and today she got the doll. To say I was excited to get in on that sale would be an understatement.

 Josiah found a construction set in Toys to Grow On catalog. He has looked and looked and looked at that catalog. He was positively confident he was getting this for Christmas and it was hard to wait! He played with it all day. In fact he hardly ate anything today because he couldn't sit at the table long enough to eat. I think there are something like 180 pieces in the set. He was awesome about sharing with his cousins at Grandma's house.

Aliza and Josiah started playing after we opened presents and I think it would have continued all day. When I told them it was time to get dressed to go to Grandma's house I got a dirty look and whispers of "Let's ignore her."

It was nice of Anna to hold her doll while she played with the preferred iphone.

 On to Christmas with the Sheats family:

 Dad read the Christmas story from his phone. It seemed strangely out of place somehow.

 Gideon.

 Janell made the children chalkboard mats out of chalkboard fabric. So cool.

 Aliza and her doll were inseparable. In fact, I was to answer to "Grandma" because the doll was speaking to me. lol.

 Lydia.

 Boys and their Legos. More fun.

 Lalaloopsy still never fails to bring a smile and giggle of delight.

 Aliza had gifts to give and reasons for buying her gift. She bought Grandma slippers "because Grandma is always busy in the kitchen and needs slippers to relax." It was priceless to go shopping with her. Her chatter and logic and reasoning is awesome.

 I sat in this chair and held my nephew, Ezra. He fell asleep in my arms so I held him...

 ...and held him...

 and held him. And then my Gramma made me give him to her otherwise I would have kept on holding him.

 We sat in this circle for hours. I love it. I can never figure out how it takes us so long to open gifts, but it does and I'm thankful for every single person in that circle.