Merry Christmas 2011, Take 2

Aren't children a joy at Christmas?

We tried to get a nice picture of all the grandchildren on my side, but it didn't go so well.

On the morning after Christmas my siblings and parents and Barbara and Allison gathered to try to take some family pictures, and although it was at a lovely location, it was very cold and very challenging with so many little ones.  Then later we met for lunch and opening more presents at Barbara's house, but by then, the kids weren't much for taking pictures.  I say, if you can't get a good picture, then  try to get a really awful one (see above) because then at least it is good for a laugh!

We all really look forward to our Christmas celebration with Barbara and Allison.  They quite spoil us all and this year was no exception.

Our tree is full of ornaments that Barbara has given the kids each year.  The question is, when the kids leave home and start their own families, will we let them take their ornaments with them?  Or will I keep the ornaments on our Christmas tree at home so that they must come visit us when Abe and I get old?  I imagine a lovely scene in my mind of little grandchildren combing through the tree trying to find their parent's ornaments.  Can you guess which way I'm leaning?

Would you like to know what was the most shocking gift of the year?  Alright, I'll tell you.

Barbara gave Bethany her own hair dryer and curling iron.  This moved Abe to tears.  That is no exaggeration.  She opened the box and Abe started crying.  I wasn't shocked when she opened the present, because I had already recovered from the impact when Barbara told me what she was giving a few weeks earlier.  Truthfully, I felt a little embarrassed that I hadn't realized we were to that point with Bethany.  She is almost 11 and of course she LOVES her new things and is experimenting with cute new hairstyles.  It all seems very healthy and normal, but Abe is struggling.  And that seems healthy and normal as well.  She is his eldest daughter after all.

Barbara gave the menfolk aprons for cooking and BBQing.  I would like it to be known that while 2 of the aprons are clearly made from BYU material, the other two, although red and white and black, are NOT University of Utah.  They are little men BBQing.
Just wanted to clear that up.

And in keeping with the super hero theme of Christmas 2011, Cannon got a "super cool Spider-Man car".

Clark is moving up in the world of technology-- not too hard to do when you start with an am/fm radio alarm clock.  He got another mp3 player from Barbara.  When it rains it pours!  
He has also learned an important but somewhat uncomfortable lesson this Christmas.  As you get older, your presents get more expensive, and consequently your quantity of gifts diminishes.  He understands, but it can be hard to be the oldest kid in the family.

ME WANT COOKIE!!!!

No, really.  I'd really like to eat a cookie right now.  

I KNOW!  I know what you're thinking, "It is such a daring look, but somehow she  can pull it off!  How does she do it?"

 I can only credit my make-up artists and Barbara who is Elinor's make-up supplier.  I think the blue eye shadow may be ready for a come back.  What do you think?

Christmas Day 2011

And it is the moment we've all been waiting for...even if it is WAY too early...

CHRISTMAS MORNING!

I thought some of my children (namely, the man-child) was going to lose his mind with excitement leading up to Christmas.

And all the excitement was in the hope of receiving Lego Dino sets.  Two weeks before Christmas he woke up in a bad mood because he had had a "nightmare."  He said he woke up Christmas morning and he didn't get the set he hoped for.  I asked him, "What did you get instead?"
He responded, "I don't know and it doesn't matter."
Sheesh!  Talk about pressure on the big guy in red.

Needless to say, his nightmare did not come to pass and he has been blissfully building Legos for the past four days.

Let me interpret this look for you.
"Is this for real?"
"Did Santa actually bring me a bird?"
"I cannot believe this bird is in my living room!"

And a marvelous bird it is, too!  Her name is Pebbles (because Elinor's cousin has a cockatiel named Bam-Bam).  She is SUCH a good bird!!!  She will easily let any of the kids hold her and she will sit perched on a shoulder forever. 

She is quiet and will set her head against your cheek to give a hug.  She is "hugging" Elinor in this picture.
Santa scored BIG TIME with the bird!  All the kids enjoy her so much we have to remind them that the bird is, in fact, Elinor's.

Captain America will save us!  Cannon got lots of super hero toys and may I just admit that I had trouble controlling myself in the stores this season when it came to buying gifts for Cannon.  Little boy toys are so fun and it's been so long since I've bought them!

Clark gave a present to Cannon this year and he bought a Ninja Lego set for him, so they could build it together.  These two brothers are nine years apart, but they quite enjoy each other's company.  I'm afraid Cannon will be beside himself when Clark leaves on a mission some day.

Bethany's biggest gift this Christmas is getting her first pair of point ballet shoes, which she has been fitted for and have been ordered, but sadly did not arrive in time for Christmas.  But I suppose since they weren't a surprise anyway, and she can't really play with them, it is all right.  She did get a scooter for her doll and a new doll, which she has had a lovely time dressing and doing her hair.

We gave new dolls to all the girls in the hopes that they would play with them together, and Faith has a bit, but it's really Bethany who enjoys it the most.  I don't think Elinor has touched her doll except to open the box at Bethany's insistence.  Elinor is really embracing the tom-boy role.  When her friend Ben came over a few days later she excitedly showed him the bird and said, "Hey, Ben!  Now we can play pirates!"

They may not both like dolls, but they do both love to cook, so they were excited to get aprons, made by Grandma Barbara.

Faith had a good day!  She got a gymnastics mat and a fold up balance beam that sits on the floor.  Truthfully, Santa took donations this year for several gifts.  My Aunt Michelle saw on the blog that Faith took gymnastics and that Elinor wanted a bird.  She generously called me and said they happened to have a bird cage we could have, and the gymnastics equipment for Faith that my cousin used when she was younger.  

We were so thankful, because these mats are NOT cheap!!  Faith told me she really wanted a mat, but didn't think she could get one.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU to my Aunt Michelle and Uncle Spencer!!!

I loved Strawberry Shortcake when I was a girl.  I had a Strawberry Shortcake Christmas when I was about Faith's age.

I don't know if she actually likes Strawberry Shortcake or not, and I'm afraid I might not actually care.  I do think she likes them, and they just smell so good. 

I must have them--and now I do... I mean, she does!

George got a basketball hoop, once again thanks to Spencer and Michelle.  He took right to it and knew just what to do. 

He liked the Fruit Loops Santa brought!

As for me, I did get my Zumba Wii game that my heart longed for, but I mostly loved the poem Abe wrote for me.  It was sweet and beautiful and I cried and Clark said, "Dad, did you actually write that?  That's good!"

We had a lovely Sacrament Meeting at 11:00 and then Abe and I got a glorious gift.  We took afternoon naps. 

 Later in the afternoon Abe prepared his traditional British Fried Breakfast.  If you eat this meal, you won't have to eat again for two days!  But it is tasty.

We ladies had a fun time testing out Just Dance for Kids.  Bethany was really good!

I have very mixed feelings about this picture.  At this point all the presents have been opened, but the cleaning up has not commenced yet.  It looks rather obscene to me and I try to decide--- did I go too far this year?  Did I go overboard?  Did everyone have a nice Christmas?  Did they get what they wanted?  Did they get too much?  Our living room is rather small and there are 8 of us, so if everyone gets a few gifts, that stacks up very quickly. 

I am rather ashamed that I am so tormented when it comes to Christmas.  How much is too much?  It is such a delicate orchestration.  

I am happy to say, that I do think I maintained the balance fairly well this year.  Abe was very helpful to me in that when I started stressing about things, he jumped right in with advice and even with shopping when needed. 

And now we enjoy the week between Christmas and New Year's when our only work is to play.

Christmas Eve is All Good Things

The Cannon Family Christmas Eve Breakfast is one of my very favorite events of the entire year.  I enjoy my aunts and uncles and cousins so much-- they are happy and loving and accepting of EVERYONE!!  I like to go and just bask in their goodness.

Georgie was basking in the attention from the ladies!

My newest nephew, Eli  (2nd child of Chip and Laura) visiting all the way from Virginia.  Usually baby boys are handsome, but he is BEAUTIFUL!

Allison with my niece, Aliyah (Matt and Misty's 1st child) visiting from the Portland area.  She is ADORABLE and I just want to touch her, but she hasn't warmed up to me yet.

Having all my siblings and my dad over to our house for Christmas Eve.  I don't know when such a thing will happen again, as we are spread all over the country, but it was WONDERFUL!

They are all three beautiful and they all have blue eyes, so Abe called them the "Copy Cousins".  They were tickled and they were inseparable.  Faith is the oldest (by 15 and 18 months), but she is the shortest.  Abe and I are shorter than their parents, so I guess it makes sense, but it seems strange.

Good eats at the grown up table.  We obviously ate our fill.

The little ladies' table. They didn't eat nearly so much.

The little lads.  They ate almost nothing.

The Nativity program.  The Angel Gabriel appearing to a sleeping Joseph in a dream.

The wise men stole the show when they were searching for the baby Jesus.

Grandma and Grandpa Cannon gave the younger kids cozy new pj's for Christmas. 

To Clark, Bethany, and Elinor, they gave mp3 players.  Which is very cool, but the amazingly cool thing is that Grandpa had already downloaded a pretty impressive thing onto each of them.  He has spent over 500 hours recording himself reading aloud the Book of Mormon.  I love to have the kids listen to the Book of Mormon, but it's made even better in Grandpa's voice.  What a gift he has given us all.  Thank you, Dad!

The kids could hardly believe it. 

Happy to Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Party Animals

It's a little over the top, but it sure is fun!

We are partying this week.  Not just once this week, but several times over.  Good thing we like parties!  In the previous post I put up pictures of the Fox Brothers Christmas Party that we hosted on Tuesday.  Earlier that day we did our younger kids' book club.  The book was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which all the kids loved and loved quoting to each other.  We even had a couple kids show up dressed as the hooligan Herdman kids.

And since I was hosting two gatherings in the same day for lots of kids, we just did the same activities at both parties.  Stringing popcorn is rather messy, but easily cleaned up.

Cannon was so pleased with his efforts.

And George was very happy to eat his efforts.  And now when Georgie is hungry he can just go grab a strand off the Christmas tree and chow down.

Last night we enjoyed our family book club Christmas gathering over at the Flynn's house.

As per tradition, there was a kid's white elephant/dollar store gift exchange.  However, we broke with tradition in that nobody cried during the gift exchange.  It's a Christmas miracle!

Then there was the adult book exchange.  There are never any tears in this exchange, but there was much laughing.  Some books were "real" books and others were a little more white elephant.  I happily came away with a used copy of Anna Karenina (we'll be reading it in a couple months) and Abe got Goldfinger (James Bond).  Not everyone was so fortunate:)

For our neighbor gifts this year we hosted a lawn party with donuts and hot chocolate with lots of neighbors and ward members.  I've wanted to do this for several years, but I was a little nervous.  It seemed like a really fun idea to me, but would anybody else think it was fun?

I think they did!  At least they came! And many stayed and visited a good while.

The littlest ladies.

The bigger ladies.  By the way, these three sweethearts surprised their mamas this morning by getting up early and meeting up at K. and R.'s house.  While we moms were walking, they made coffee cake from scratch and hot chocolate.  They set a beautiful table and treated us to a hot breakfast after our cold morning walk.  How sweet is that?  They are wonderful.

Elinor and the boys.  After a while they took to the tree to hang out.

I am grateful to Abe who loves a good party at least as much as me-- if not more!  He loves Christmas and was very aptly given the middle name of Jolley.
Tomorrow is a day off from partying, but then is the biggest party of all!  Christmas Eve with all of my siblings!  I can't wait!!!!!!