The Ray's: 2008

Christmas Day with family

Each year we go to my parents for Breakfast. It makes it real nice and easy that they already live in our neighborhood. After breakfast and everyone got there we did gifts. We opened presents from my parents and watched them open their gifts to each other. Later on that day we went back over there for a late lunch and the kids played with their toys. It was hard for them to play too much with it raining outside. I love the rain but not on Christmas.

Before lunch at my parents, Aaron's mom came over to our house with presents. We sat down with her and Adam and Sara's family and exchanged gifts. After that Aaron's mom went with us to my parents and had lunch with us.

Christmas Morning

We woke up at 6am. We were surprised the kids were happy to get up that early. Santa brought Hayden a guitar and he loved it. He started to jam right when he saw it. Santa brought Emmie a Hippo chair, Hayden got a dog chair for Christmas when he was 1, so Emmie needed her own chair. Emmie got a bike and a teeter toter from us too that were too big to wrap.

Going through our stockings

Santa got me some good gift cards!

We weren't sure how Emmie would be with this being our 1st Christmas with her. I wasn't sure if she would like opening gifts but she liked it. The kids would open their gifts together and then Aaron and I would open one. As we opened ours Hayden would moan because he wanted us to hurry so he could open another. The funny thing is we got a lot for the kids but Aaron and I had one gift more then them. oops... what can we say...Aaron and I are still kids when it comes to Christmas.

Aaron's wii sports pack. We already have a wii so this year we got several things for it. Aaron also got Mario Party 8 and I got wii fit.

Aaron got a lot of camping stuff he wanted and I got a lot of canning stuff I wanted.

A small Christmas tornado came through here!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve we always have a party with my grandma's side, The Pico's. This year it was at our house again. We always have great Mexican food, a gag gift exchange, Pj's as a gift, and lots of laughing and fun! This year the girls dressed up in their tutu's Sara's made. Santa even came for the kids for a little bit to give them a small gift. Christmas eve is one of my favorite parts of Christmas, we always have a fun time and its full of our favorite traditions.

When my parents first got married they started the tradition of making Wassail on Christmas eve. About 8 years ago I took over making it. Its a mix of different juices you have simmer for hours. While it simmers you have cinnamon sticks and oranges with cloves in them sit in the pot and you take them out before drinking. Its not Christmas to me until we drink wassail. It just tastes and smells like Christmas.

Wassail

Christmas Tutu's

Sophie the Snow Princess

Emmie and Hailey
Santa is here!

Emmie didn't want to see Santa but she wanted her present

Bye Santa!

PJ time, Emmie opening her Christmas PJ's

Opening slippers

Emmie and Hayden in their Christmas PJ's

All my parents grandkids sitting in order by age. Its hard to get 8 kids under 5 to look at a camera.

Katelynn, Brooklyn, Karlee, Hayden, Austin, Will, Emmie and Jace
The kids being crazy! They can't wait for Christmas morning!

Santa at our house

About 3 years ago we started a family tradition where Aaron dresses up as Santa for the kids in the neighborhood, ward, family and friends who want to come by. Aaron's grandpa used to dress up as Santa every year and since Hayden was born Aaron wanted to start that up again. As the kids get older in our family they are catching on but they still love it. This year we did it a few days before Christmas. We knew Hayden would know it was Aaron so we explained to him that he wasn't the real Santa but he dresses up as Santa to help him out and for other kids to get to see Santa. He was ok with it and super excited. The funny thing is Hayden knows its Aaron but was so excited that he would still think it was Santa. He would ask him where the reindeer are and tell him what he wants for Christmas and he was really into it, like he really believed. It was cute how happy he was...Emmie didn't like it at all. She screamed so she played in her pack and play in the family room and as family and friends came over she had some company in there. So the night turned out pretty good even though it was raining. We had a lot of families come and it was fun! I always hope people enjoy it and keep coming each year because its really fun for us and something Aaron wants to keep doing for our kids.