The Reason for the Season!

  I once had a Christmas sweatshirt that said,

Dear Santa,  I want it all!

Okay…so I haven’t changed much!  We got it all and more this Christmas season.

The holiday started with dinner and white elephant gifts at my Aunt Pauline and Uncle Bob’s house a couple of weeks before Christmas.  The gifts were classic!  The leg lamp, an old lamp from Grandma Jensen’s house (the gold one with a toga clad lady on it)…and our gift:  pickled pigs feet and a Pepsi to wash them down with!  Good times!  We all got a family cookbook that my mom (and Pauline) put a lot of time putting together.  We each contributed some recipes and Grandma Jensen’s are in there too.  It may even be a cookbook I will use!

We then took our traditional trip to Temple Square to see the lights.

Christmas Eve we were at Uncle John and Aunt Laurie’s house with the Thorup and Evans families.  We had the traditional ham, “funeral potatoes” and rainbow jell-o.  After a sing-along at the piano accompanied by Laurie’s sister Janet, our Jensen side of the family headed to Brandon’s house for the Nativity.  The girls had written it with Grammy and assigned out parts.  They did a great job with only typing help from Grammy.  Then they each played the Christmas songs that they have learned on the piano this season.  I realized that night how my parents and grandparents must have felt all those years of making us put on a talent show…I was quite proud that my 6 year old knows the true Christmas story and can even recite the part of the angel by heart.

And that my $30 a month for piano lessons are paying off!

   

Christmas Morning…Avery had asked Santa for a dollhouse and Chloe had asked for a princess.  Santa came through with the doll house of their dreams.  They were speechless as they came out and saw it standing there in the living room.  Avery can’t believe that it is taller than her.  Avery’s Leapster Explorer from her mom and dad has already had the batteries replaced.  Chloe is loving the soft jammies, new books and Rapunzel princess doll(from the movie Tangled).  Stephen is enjoying his new x-box headphones, game and new shirts. Hallie loves her new Simon Dewey picture in the entry way and the laundry room cabinets are in the garage waiting for a finish and hanging.

We split the day between the Jensen’s and the Schaff’s.  Brunch was at the Jensen’s with cinnamon rolls and crepes.  Grammy and Papa got the girls pillow pets and puffy skirts that came in personally decorated cans that they can use in their rooms.  Grammy spent so much time making sure the cans were perfect for each girl.  They have both put them to use storing all their treasures.  Avery sleeps with her penguin “Fluffy” the pillow pet every night and Chloe has only taken off the puffy skirt with much kicking and screaming!

  We had the chance to spend time with family, both here and far away.  We chatted with  Paul and Stephanie in North Carolina on Christmas morning and got to see the new twin baby boys and Aubry on the web cam.  We chatted with Jeremy and Jordan just last night after their delayed visit from Santa, due to Jer’s work schedule, and got to see the very lively Adalynn and her noisy horse and puppy!  Stephen’s brothers David and family and Nate (the one that goes with Miranda) were here for the festivities from out of town.

We are truly blessed and even though Santa came through with the good stuff,  we are more blessed because of the gift of our Savior and our families and friends.

We hope your Christmas Season was wonderful too!