Christmas Festivities!

Lots of fun this Christmas!  We got to spend the weekend with both families!  It was our year with the Johnsons so the majority of it was there, and then Sunday all of the Poulsens got together for a gift exhcange and gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Poulsen!  Here is an overview of our wonderful holiday! 
Christmas Program at the girls' school:

Mexican Food night at Wayne and Dora's-Everyone made a mexican dish and it was quite a feast (this is a portion of it!  The other cupboard was full as well:

Bryce and his cousins enjoying our yummy mexican food:

More cousins enjoying their feast:

This year we just had the cousins exchange gifts.  Crazy, goofy girls ready to open presents:

Grandma and Grandpa Johnson gave all of the kids a candy lei and told them the rest of their present would come after all of the adults got back from Hawaii.  They want to buy all of the grandkids something in Hawaii.  Here are the kids with their Hawaiian candy leis.  Tyler, Parker, and Conner:

Lindsey and Malorie:

Bryce and Carter:

We also enjoyed a little sledding at "Boy's Town" while we were at grandma's:

Christmas Eve brought the traditional gingerbread houses.  This is one of my kids' favorite parts of Christmas.  Some of us did it as teams and some worked alone.  Here are the results.  Brett:

Tiffany and Kallie(the love shack):

Conner and Bryce (Santa's workshop):

Malorie (the elf house):

Mitch and Tanner:

Cari and Alexa:

Lindsey:

Justin and Natalie (getting a little carried away with the icing-haha!):

Christmas morning was fun at home.  The kids woke up about 7:30.  They have to wait until everyone is awake and then line up youngest to oldest and can go out and see what Santa brought after Brett has got the video camera ready and make sure Santa really came.  This is what we found from Santa (plus a couple of little gifts to each person with their stocking).  Conner-Big Game Hunter for the tv:

Malorie-Littlest Pet House:

Kallie-Barbie Doctor with babies:

Bryce-Truck and trailer with a little ranch set:

Brett and Tiff-Warm big blankets:

Here are the boys enjoying a mean game of Big Game Hunter:

We also got a foosball table for our basement as a family gift:

Each year we draw names in our little family.  We have a $5 limit and the kids love finding a gift for someone else.  Here is what was given:  Brett had Bryce.  He got two hotwheels and snowman cotton candy:

Conner had Kallie.  She got a scarf, lip gloss, and clip-on earrings:

I had Malorie.  She got 5 pair of earrings and a calendar for her room:

Bryce had Conner.  He got a calendar, sweethearts, and bullets for his nerf guns:

Kallie had me.  I got red fingernail polish and M&Ms:

Malorie had Brett.  He got a pillow and mints:

Sunday we went to my parents' home after church.  We had yummy soup and did our exchange gifts.  Lindsay's family had us and everyone loved what we got from them!  Thanks Rob and Linds and girls!  Grandma and Grandpa Poulsen gave all of the adults fun gift cards for a date night!  It was awesome!  Here are the kids ready to open their presents from Grandpa and Grandma. Ready, set, go!

Cute blankets and stuffed animals for the little ones and big warm blankets for the big kids:

Also, cute pjs for all of them!

What a great Christmas and a wonderful time of the year to reflect on the birth of our Savior, to learn to give to others, and be with family!  Two more days and Brett and I are off to Hawaii for 10 days with the Johnson adults!  My parents are terrific people to keep our kids while we are gone!  Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday!