Merry Christmas!

I could not have asked for a better Christmas.  It was just perfect.  We got to spend it with all the people we love, and it was Avril's very first Christmas!  I get so excited to see people open their gifts.  I got to play Santa this year since Jesse had to work the graveyard shift right before Christmas morning.  I filled the stockings and loaded presents under the tree.  It was so much fun!

Carme (Jesse's mom) was staying with us from Montana so we got to spend time with her.  On Christmas Eve we each opened one gift.  Jesse just couldn't wait because he knew that he'd received a game called Scotland Yard and he was dying to play.  He was introduced to this game over Thanksgiving when we visited cousins in Montana and he'd been talking about it ever since.  I opened a gift from my friend Ina, and it was a new pair of pajamas and slippers so I was comfy sleeping in them that night.

 

Here we are playing Scotland Yard on Christmas Eve.  I am taking the picture with my new digital camera that I just got for my birthday!  Its fantastic!!

 

Avril's first gift that she opened (with help from daddy) was an Avril-sized hoody with the Logan Stampede logo on the front.  The back says "Yarger #11" so she can wear it to daddy's football games.  Shelby and Jesse also received hoodies like this.  I asked a friend of ours, Spencer Brown, who does logos, to specially make these for a Christmas surprise!  Everyone loved them :)

Santa bought mommy some new clothes!  How did Santa know what mommy likes?  I don't know, but he sure has good taste!

 

Grandma Carme got Avril this cool new Xylophone and Avril just loved playing with it.  We think "xylophone" might be her next word she learns, after mama and dada :)

After opening presents at our house we headed over to nana and papa's house for some pancakes and more gift opening!  Our main gift from the grandparents was a new dryer since ours is an energy sucker.  We got a new energy efficient dryer and it will not be delivered until the end of January, due to an overwhelming response to a Home Depot spectacular sale.  The main gift given to the grandparents was a digital scrapbook I made for them from their Peru trip over the summer.  I will try to post some pics of this later, along with pics of Jesse's Stampede football book I designed for him as well :)

Avril's new favorite thing to do at nana and papa's is to ride their rocking horse (that is supposed to be for decoration).  She just laughs with delight!

 Here is Avril with some of her new toys!  She must've been a good girl this year!

 Jesse couldn't quite stay awake through all the gift opening since he'd worked a grave the night before.  We decided to let him slumber.

Like daddy like daughter... all the excitement exhausted poor little Avril.  Here she sleeps with her two doting grandmas near.

Grandma and Grandma got us kids some gorros all the way from Peru.  That was really nice of them to travel all the way to South America just to get us some warm hats.

Uncle Jared in his new sweater and new Peruvian gorro, holding Avril :)

Next we headed over to great grandma and great grandpa Parkinsons' house that evening for some tasty soup and muffins, and yes, even MORE presents to open!  We were really, really good this year!

Olivia, Jared, and I devouring our food!

Avril is wearing her new pink boots from grandma and grandpa Santa and contently watching us open presents.

Great grandpa and great grandma with some of their gifts.  Patricia and Olivia gave them a homemade blanket and a picture of Olivia.

 

 Brother and sister decked out in new Christmas attire.

Olivia has such a personality.  She is just a fun loving ball of energy and pulls some of the craziest faces.  Here she is with her big brown puppy dog eyes.

My Aunt Patricia with her daughter Olivia.

Trish and I :)

 

Silly great grandpa wearing his gorro gift.

Avril and grandpa decided to play some Christmas carols to get in to the spirit of things.  It was lovely :)

We could not keep Avril away from the Christmas candy. She just LOVED playing with it... we didn't let her eat it! I know, we deprive that poor child.