Christmas 2013

Some of my favorite Christmas moments...

Other favorite moments not captured on camera:

*Fitting my run in at 5 in the morning and delivering a secret parcel 

*Singing Christmas carols to "wake" the children up/invite them to be awake outside of their rooms...

*The best batch of monkey bread I have ever made (the kids dipped, Leslie baked)

*Secret Santa gift exchange amongst the siblings

*Homemade gifts by Owen, especially the cutest little cardboard box wagon ever (made for Gideon) *Sharing Christmas with the missionaries and Mark Evans 

*Evelyn and Gideon dancing in circles with a giant stuffed polk-a-dot monkey

*Cinnamon sugar roasted almonds

*When the missionaries opened their new journals

*When Mark got his unexpectedly filled stocking

*The missionaries' joy at opening toilet paper (the "good stuff!")

*The moment the kids figured out we were taking them on a CRUISE!

*Evelyn and Reuben refusing to take off their new swimsuits

*Gideon's Christmas diet of candy, chocolate, and cake

*Turkey stuffed with ham and pineapple

*Talking with family

*Reading the "3 Levels of Christmas" by PoppaKeith

*Singing "I Believe in Christ"