Christmas in January

I have 25 Christmas cards left to send out...25 m-o-r-e...AHHHH! Next year it's all Shutterfly, or Snapfish, or one of those companies where you send them your social security number, your MSN contact list, your life savings and a blood sample, and POOF, two weeks later everyone has your card in their hand and you never even had to lick an envelope. I know that something like that exists out there, and I am going to DO IT!
So, besides the (self-imposed, and totally stupid) burden of Christmas cards hanging over my head, there is also the fact that I have posted Nada about Christmas. So, I am gonna do it.

Back and forth, back and forth. That was Gavin and I on Christmas Eve-Eve. We had a six month old baby and I did not feel like schlepping gifts and kids down to my parents house, 1.5 hours away, for the holiday. The kids, on the other hand, REEEEALLY, REEEAALLY felt like it. Hmmm... horses, snowmobiles, ATV's, 11,000 square feet, new toys, Grandma saying "yes" to every wish before it is even asked for...it's a no-brainer. So, back and forth, back and forth. This is why we live in Utah, right? No packing up and schlepping stuff around every holiday season...No more living out of suitcases for the holidays...right? Waking up Christmas morning in OUR own house, opening gifts under OUR own tree. Isn't that what we really want?

GUESS NOT.

So, Gavin loaded up the back of the car with all of the gifts I had THANKFULLY wrapped ahead of time. We packed up the kids. Luckily about all we needed were a few clean pairs of underwear, since my mom's place is stocked with everything else we could EVER need. We poured some extra food for the cat, dumped some extra crickets in for the gecko, and headed down to Elk Ridge.

Christmas morning: Shelby is in heaven with her new Diego train, and Tinkerbell stuff. Dalton is up to his ears in presents (as usual we overdid it with him). His best are the rip stick, Nerf guns from Grandma Hoopes, and his SURPRISE Ipod (dad's old one) with earphones from Mom and Dad. Gavin and I both agree that next year we will wake up Christmas morning in Mexico. NO GIFTS. Gavin and I get way too much stuff as usual, from my mom- the "gift overdooer", and Dan, the "gift overpayer".

The gifts were good, the food was yummy, the weather was positively Christmasy...as white a Christmas as you could ask for. But the best part were the lazy days spent in our new Christmas pj's, watching movies, eating carmel corn for lunch, surrounded by wrapping paper.

Shelby with her new Diego train, and animals

Gav and Dalt putting together a gift

New beanie from Kristen and new Ipod from Mom and Dad, suhweet!

DS games!

A hug for her new deer "Bambie" from Uncle David

Baby Garrett's first Christmas

My beautiful siblings, Kristen and David