Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas all my family, friends and fellow bloggers! Was your Christmas truly merry and bright? Mine was! I think a fun time was had by all in my house. Everything is unwrapped, mostly put away (except for all Dan's new toys, they still reside in the living room, all over the floor) and Jim and the kids are all off either reading the books they got for Christmas, playing with toys, or just relaxing. I have some time to download all the photos off the camera and post a blog entry letting you in on all the highlights.

Our holiday started on Saturday with the Lundberg family tradition of Christmas Brunch. We have of course altered the tradition in the fact that we now hold it the Saturday before Christmas instead of the morning of Christmas. Makes it so much easier on those that had to go and move so far away, across the valley. The food was fabulous, like always, and the company was even better, like always!

Dan with his Ironman toy.
This is Bev and her thing 1, Kaity.
Some of the kids, assembling their airplanes. (Jim believes that you can't just give gift cards! You must have something to play with in order for it to truly be Christmas!)
My handsome, engineer Sam. Later, he made modifications to one of the airplanes to make it more aerodynamic.
Dad and Susan holding Kaity's new baby, Holly.
The cutest "Present" under my tree!
Hmm...this next one needs some explaining. First I must warn you that I come from a very strange family. We are loud and boisterous, recite movie lines every time we're together, and have a very strange sense of humor. When my Mom passed away, we girls got together to go through all of her personal belongings decide who wanted what, or give away what wasn't wanted/needed. In my Mother's possessions was a small statue we always called David. Though in actuality he is the Greek god Hercules. (No, I really have no idea why my mother owned this.) For some reason nobody wanted poor little Hercules! Beverly finally said she would take him. That year when we got together for the above mentioned brunch, Bev "gifted" him in our exchange. Sadly, he was out of circulation for a year when I misplaced him, but since then has shown up every year with a new "addition" to his alabasterness. First addition? That was mine. I felt he really should have some sort of clothes, and so gave him a black leather loin cloth /underwear. Nicely molded to his buttocks, don't you think?

The lovely chapeau was added by Margaret. This year he came to us from Crissie's house, proudly displaying his holster and boom stick (what Jacob called his gun). He has now returned to Bev's once more, and we all eagerly await next years addition.

Later on that evening we had our Ward Christmas party at the church. Dan finally got to see Santa and tell him what he wanted for Christmas. This was the first time that he willingly sat on Santa's lap. I'm one of those mean mommies who believe in torturing the child for the photo!

And what exactly did he ask for? "A Hungry Hungry Hippo toy".

Snowflakes were the decor this year and eventually the children figured out that the pretty. sparkly, snowflakes on the tables were actually stickers. You simply had to peel off the paper backs and voila!

Dan and his friend Harley

Last night was our traditional Jones family Christmas Eve party. One of my favorite nights of the year. We eat tons of yummy food, sing carols and of course Santa comes to our party to hand out one gift to everyone there! Of course, I think he might just be one of Santa's helper Clause's, because we all know how busy the jolly old soul is on Christmas Eve!

Daniel was so excited that Santa was coming. He wouldn't even come in to sing with us because he was waiting by the front door, watching for him to arrive.

Christmas morning...

We had fun watching our Dan open his presents, especially his much requested Hungry Hippo game.

Here are Sam, Kacie, and Sarah wearing the beanie hats Jim made for them, and holding up their quilts that I haven't quite finished making for them!

Well, they are mostly done. I need to machine quilt and bind them, and then they will be all ready for use.And finally, playing Hungry Hungry Hippos! I wish you all could watch him play. His little tongue darts in and out of his mouth while he's playing. It kind of reminds me of little Ralphy in A Christmas Story. When he's concentrating using his decoder ring!

What did I get? I got tickets to 4 shows at Gammage this coming year! I am the luckiest and happiest girl today! This next year I will be attending RENT, STOMP, WICKED (did you hear me screaming?) and I am going to take Dan to see his first show, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG. Good show to introduce a 5 year old to the theater with I hope. With luck, he'll learn to love it as much as his mother. Then as he grows, Jim can make Dan go with me, thereby getting himself out of it.