So, This is Christmas

The only word I can come up with to adequately describe Christmas this year is magical.  Everything about it was just that.  I didn't really feel stressed out much at all.  I probably should have, and maybe I did here and there, but overall, I was surprised that I wasn't more frenzied.  It was ... imperfectly perfect.  Hmm, it looks like there's no way I'm going to be doing 2011 justice.  Bullets, shall we?

• Singing Christmas songs together as a family.  How on earth do these young'ns pick up the words so quickly?  It's amazing and so exciting.
• Listening to Christmas music.  This year's particular favorites were Alvin and The Chipmunks, VeggieTales Christmas (The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree), and Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus.  The kiddies can't sing "Hosanna!" without a major fist pump.  Does my heart good.
• Driving around (while listening to/singing Christmas carols) looking at the Christmas lights.  It wouldn't be Christmas without this tradition, and there's something magical (there's that word again) about a dark night, a warm car, and driving around with no destination -- just letting the festive lights direct which road you'll turn down next.  {By the way, if you didn't check out Salem Pond this year, make sure you hit it next year.  It was awesome.}
• Letting the boys doorbell ditch for the first time this year.  One of our favorite traditions is the 12 Days of Christmas and this year we thought the boys were old enough - and stealthy enough - to deliver the goods.  The rush of running and trying to stay hidden sure is different when you're seeing it from a 4-year-old's eyes.  Much less creepy, way more fun.
• Watching the kids watch their video from Santa.  My friend Tammee sent me this link where you can create a "personalized" message.  The kids had so much fun watching the video and answering Santa's questions.  They also loved the Santa Tracker here.
• Acting out the Christmas story from Luke and from The Book of Mormon (Samuel the Lamanite, the day and night and day that was like one day, the new star in the heavens...) the kids got so into it and it feels like the really grasped the concepts this year.  They made great angels appearing to the shepherds, and hearing their little voices say "I bring you good tidings of great joy, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." was awesome, awesome, awesome.
• All of the traditions.  Trax to Temple Square, singing for the Ward Christmas Party, delivering neighbor gifts (which all three kids took turns doing this year - it was great), making goodies, wrapping gifts, reading Christmas books for bedtime stories, setting out the nativities and decorating the tree, making gingerbread houses, watching The Muppet's Christmas Carol, The Santa Clause 2, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas over and over and over...
• Their excitement on Christmas morning, of course. They stayed in their room like we'd asked them to and woke us up by whisper-shouting "Mom! Dad! We're awake!" They couldn't wait to see if Santa had eaten the cookies they'd left out for him and if he'd left them toys. We knew that Santa had gotten them some great stuff, but seeing their reactions to it all brought me to tears. JOY - for them and for me and Adam. Magical.

Here are some visual aids:

Making Our Gingerbread House

Trying not to eat said Gingerbread House
(By Christmas morning, all of the tree ornaments and gum drops on the roof had mysteriously disappeared...)

The insisted on piling into AJ's bed for our Christmas bedtime story

The Stockings were hung propped up on the couch.

Santa is one busy dude.

Reacting

...and this is where he was nearly weeping with joy.

Taking it all in

Trying out her new Minnie Hat

Opening his Angry Birds game

Opening his new Cootie game
(Do any of you remember playing that as a kid?  It was one of my favorites.)

Melia trying to take a picture of AJ with her new camera.
(That's usually what the pictures she takes with my camera look like, too.)

Dad's new Phineas and Ferb Wii game

After church with Dad

After church with Mom