Christmas was great this year! It was fun having the girls understand and get a little more excited (well at least Kendra understood more this year). We cut down our Christmas tree just outside of Vernal the day after Thanksgiving. It was fun. There was snow and it was warm. We had fun decorating it. The girls and I went to our annual Festival of Trees event with Grandma Hale, Auntie Erika, Auntie Laura, Anela, Kanani, Kekoa, and Alakie. We had to see Santa of course. We were saddened when we found out that the Santa that has a real beard that is always there wasn't scheduled the one day we went :( But all in all I don't think Kendra or Trisha cared. Kendra even liked going to him. Trisha just sat. Great fun though!
We spent Christmas Eve at Grandpa and Grandma Hale's house. We had a wonderful dinner followed with the Christmas story telling and gift exchange. It was hard to keep quiet order amongst the cousins while Grandpa Hale read the story. To much excitement! But all the cousins survived. Kendra and Trisha were given Barbies and a barbie car. Life couldn't get any better....so they thought till next morning arrived :)... We spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa Hale's house and Santa still found us! The girls are still to young (thank goodness) to pull the "stay awake all night" excitement card that we were even woken up by auntie Natalie because she thought we were awake and waiting on them. So we got to sleep in till 7:30 a.m. PERFECT! We sent Kendra in to wake uncle Greg and we all waited by the stairs till the Earl family was ready. It was funny to see the confusion that turned into excitement as the kid's saw and realized what Santa left them and that he really does come. Not just in the stories or movies! Kendra couldn't process everything cause she wanted to see what her cousins Annie Jane and Ethan got before her own stuff. What a fun and confusing morning :)! We had a great big breakfast after the Santa bliss and then onto the presents under the tree. It was a wonderful Christmas morning!!!
Later in the day we ventured back up north to Bryan and Jesenia's home to spend time with the Walker family. We had our gift exchange, played games, and ate yummy food. (Don't you love the holiday's) The little girls had lots of fun playing with all the new toy's. Blake and I got the game Ticket to Ride and I couldn't wait to play so we recruited Tori, Cody, Jason & Rachael, and Diane to play. It was so fun!
We went home that night at a decent time and it still felt like it was late. But we all felt like the boy's in the movie Christmas Story when we went to bed with BIG grins of satisfaction on our faces!!! It was a great Christmas!!! 
