CHRISTMAS

We spent this Christmas in Orange County at my parent's house. It was a wonderfully relaxing few days spent making cookies, going to the park, staying in when it rained, last minute shopping, wrapping gifts, and just sitting next to the fire and Christmas tree, chatting and catching up.

We have a family tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve, but we forgot until after Ben already went to sleep. My parents insisted I open a present and even though I hesitated, I finally opened it to discover a Nikon 3200 D-SLR! I was so excited, I've been wanting a nice camera for a while now. No one else even opened a gift that night, but I was busy learning how to use my new camera before Christmas morning the next day! So I took a lot of pictures this year because I was having fun with my new "toy".

Jim and Ben baking a Christmas cake

The finished product

Lots of red sprinkles!

Making cookies with the fun colored dough my Dad bought

Ben was very meticulous and hardly made a mess, go figure. :)

More decorating

Christmas Eve dinner at Tutto Fresco - yum!

Ben's reindeer food he made at school

Sprinkling the food in the grass so they find our house

Picking out cookies to leave for Santa

Cookies and carrots

All ready for Santa!

Saying good-bye to Clyde

All ready for Christmas morning - looks like Santa came!

Santa was very nice to Ben this year

Eggnog in moose mugs!  'Tis the Season to be Merry.

Coming down the stairs Christmas morning

Taking it all in

Needs milk before he can get started...

Playing with his Pizza Planet toy

Happy boy

Dad, ready to open presents!

Opening more gifts from Santa

Chuck's Stunt Park!

The big police helicopter Lego set!

Mom's new UGGS

A gift Ben made in school

New microwave and food to prepare from the Hoelting's

The annual Grandparent's picture album

Ben's gifts from the Meier's

School and school bus from Nana & Gramps

New rain boots from Grandma & Papa

Awesome boots

Daddy's new CU shirt from Ben

Ben checking out Grandma's new snow globe music box

New polar bear, Ben named him Snowball

iPad mini - thanks babe!

First Razr scooter

Ben helping Grandma with her big present

New rocking chair pads

Dad's turn with a big one!

A new hammock!!!

My turn to check it out - so comfy!

Time to play with everything

Ben doing a little "sweeping" behind Grandma's chair

Fun with my new camera

Ben and Grandma

Time for dinner

Wearing our crowns from the poppers

A little after dinner game

Relaxing with Papa

Me and Ben relaxing by the fire

Family pic to end the night