Christmas 2012

Christmas this year was great. It was the second Christmas in five years that I've been in the US (and actually, the other three years were in countries that don't celebrate Christmas) and it was GREAT to see my family, especially some of my nieces and nephews, and get the day off to celebrate. I actually got a month off this year (perhaps to make up for three of the past four years?) and so I booked a flight back to Utah to celebrate.

Christmas is SO much more exciting with little kids around, even if they aren't my own. This year we had a few surprises.

First of all, little children get unreasonably excited about cheap dollar store toys (like the squish ball in the first picture) but are often underwhelmed by more impressive toys.

Kayla gave Emily a ball. When she opened it Christmas Eve, she ran over to Kayla and said, "Thanks, Kayla. I like balls." It was so adorable (as can be evidenced by the happy, smiling, laughing faces surrounding the two of them).

Aren't they cute?

Another surprise was this strange contraption that Corban and Laura gave Jocilyn and Ryan. Homemade adjustable bookends!!

The biggest and best surprise, in my opinion, was the vintage (meaning made of metal, not plastic) TONKA TRUCKS that Santa brought for my brother's 3-year-old son. Oh yeah, and 30 pounds of beans (and even sicko chicken pellets!) for him to play with them in.

The night before his two cousins got to open their presents at the family party because they wouldn't be there in the morning to open them. Maxton had to sit quietly the whole time and not get upset that he didn't get to open presents. The scene changed the next morning when he saw the trucks and the BEANS!

And Kayla was happy with sitting on her zebra trike thing and watching her brother play.

Merry Christmas, everyone!