A Christmas celebration or 5

Christmas around our house is more of a week-long celebration in order to see a majority of our family. Its a fun and exhausting time where we are reminded of all the great people we have in our lives. And now I will conclude my narrative portion and just move onto the pictures of the girls!

Aubrey was very meticulous about opening her presents. It took us quite a few presents to convince her that it was okay to just rip it open!

This was the best picture I was able to snap of these 2 crazy chickens before Christmas Eve service!

Opening Christmas eve jammies!

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa along with carrots for the reigndeer

What Santa left for us

Aubrey was super excited to finally have "The Lion King"

Aubrey's 1 request from Santa this year was a rubber duck! Santa had his work cut out for him. Each present Aubrey would open she would say "This isn't my rubber duck!" To this day, she still sleeps with that large, hard plastic duck. 

Ella and Aubrey on Christmas morning 2011

Ella's face was extremely animated this year =) Opening her very own copy of "Bolt"

Santa had an even bigger challenge with Ella's request- a stuffed beaver! Fortunately Santa was resourceful and found a beaver pillow pet ;-)

After all the presents were opened, Ella found a letter from Santa. It read:
"Dear Ella and Aubrey,
One present was too big to fit in the house. Tyson is keeping it safe.
Love,
Santa"

Again, Ella's face tells the story. Aubrey on the other hand is slightly preoccupied chewing on her fingernails--yuck!

It was a trampoline!! And moments after the first jumps it began to rain.... And that has been the story of most days since then. Fortunately the girls are not easily deterred. Throw 2 beach towels in there, let them dry it off as best as possible then change their clothes.

Hope Santa was as great to your family as he was to ours. And of course, the true meaning of Christmas rang true even more!