One more to add to our Bazillion Christmas'

Stop #3: Orem, Utah (Dec 24-Jan 11)

I am finally on to the last stop of our Christmas celebrations. We went down to Orem at about 4:00pm (after I did some more last minute shopping with my brothers). My mom was planning a big Christmas Eve dinner. We had Prime Rib, do I have to say any more? Well it was delicious!! My mom usually tends to out do herself all the time and she went all out for the dinner. It was amazing and so much fun. There was suppose to be extended family member there, but because of the snow storm, it ended up being just my parents and siblings and I don't think I would have had it any other way. We really enjoy being with each other, laughing, talking, reminiscing about past Christmas', just having a jolly time! Unlike last year, my mom had all the presents wrapped so we didn't have to spend all night (until 3:00 am last year) wrapping all the presents. Instead we sat around as a family, opened our Christmas PJ's, sang Christmas hymns and then said a family prayer and got in bed. My family has never been the best singers ever but I will have to say we really can actually carry a tune, acapella non the less. With Dustin singing his solo of "The First Noel" with no one paying attention or else Jants and Parks running around, or Kambryn gagging on the tag of her PJ's, it was memorable! Well Christmas Morning at the Graham's house it quite the event. We really have many fun memories, anywhere from the tree falling over (too many decorations on the front side mom), my dad's miraculous ability to use every piece of left-over, scratch wrapping paper on some one's present (waste not want not) or else if he doesn't have enough wrapping paper, he uses whatever he is left with even if you can see the whole bottom part of the box (put a bow on it and no one will know). It really is amusing. Anyways, Christmas was just wonderful and we really did get spoiled by my parents. Our big Santa gifts were a Car Navigation System (kyle loves it already), digital camera, and a Sit-N-Stand Stroller. Jantsen got a V-Smile (learning video game system) and Kambryn got a leapfrog activity center. (we got many other wonderful things which we all really were so grateful for. I was glad that our good stocking DVDs didn't get swapped with anyone else -there is a DVD thief in the family each year).

We just hung around and tried to get the house cleaned up from all the garbage. The Walser Family was having their annual Christmas Present Swap Party that afternoon so we had one more holiday party to attend. The gift swap is always fun. I hope they continue to do it for years to come, we usually come away with some pretty good stuff. But we love being around family. That was the end of our Christmas adventures.