Christmas in KANSAS CITY

 After an exciting week filled with family, love, the Spirit, many activities, and joy, we flew back to Kansas City on December 27th.

I was happy to have Kyle on this flight with me. He took the three rugrats and I relaxed with a sleeping Bodie on my lap.

The flights went great and each kid was wonderful.

It was a long travel day for us all and all the kids fell asleep on the drive from the airport to our home, but we were pleasantly surprised to see that Santa made a stop at our house in Kansas City while we were gone on vacation.

::Gifts from Santa:: 

Kambryn's adorable Doll House

Jantsen's super fast Electric Scooter

Talan's totally cool Mater Truck

Bodie's really cute Shirt...poor newborn

We spent the day being lazy and relaxing in our home. Perfect ending to the holiday season!

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas DAY

CHRISTMAS DAY

2012

We went up to Evelyn and Jim's house after church where we opened present, had a delicious lunch, played the Wii, an intense ping pong game of Around the World, enjoyed new toys, laughed, talked, ate some more, and I am sure many more fun things. Because, truthfully, anything that this group of people do together is always FUN!

  

(unfortunately my camera died earlier that day and so I didn't get any pictures. But we did have a fun time)

Christmas MORNING

The kids were up bright and early and ready for all the

joy and anticipation that comes with Christmas morning.

**Christmas Morning for the Smith Family**

 Jantsen 

7 years old

Loved being with family

especially his cousin Parker

**Highlights**

Giving Grandma and Grandpa his

gift he made in school

**Favorite Gift**

Hex Bugs

from Grandma and Grandpa

**Special Memory**

Receiving Just Dance 3 Wii Game and telling Dad that the only reason

he asked for it was because he knew Mom would like it.

(I cried tears of joy and for being so lucky to have such a sweet boy)

Kambryn 

4 years old

Loved having Abby around to be girlie with

and hanging around Dustin and Jen

**Highlights** 

Getting out of her pajamas as soon as possible

to put on each dress she opened up.

(If her pajamas would have been a nightgown,

she probably would have stayed in it a little longer)

**Favorite Gift**

She has two. 

New pink Scooter

and Rapunzel and Tiana Dresses

**Special Memory**

Kambryn and Abby disappeared for awhile because they had

gone off together in their princess dresses and

played dolls in the library while we were all still opening presents.

 Talan

1 years old

Loved the attention from all the family

and trying to fit in with the older boy cousins

**Highlights**

Opening his Thomas the Train

pillow pet and being so excited.

He sat on it in the middle of the living room

and said "Choo Choo" during the whole

commotion of opening presents

**Favorite Gift**

Thomas the Train Pillow Pet

**Special Memory**

Picking up ALL the pieces

(big and small) of wrapping paper

behind the couch.

Grandma and Dad were laughing hysterically at him.

Bodie

2 months old
Loved being passed around
(he was never put down)

**Highlights**

Being held and loved on

the WHOLE time

by everyone

**Favorite Gift** 

He pretty much only got

clothes so that would

have to be his favorite gift

**Special Memory**

Bringing so much love and peace to

everyone. Having a newborn is

such an amazing blessing and gift

 

Other highlights**
*Getting a Treadmill from my parentsand Kyle. I bawled!
*My mom reading the Santa Letter
to the Grandkids.
She bawled and so did many of us
Then James had to finish reading it.
 *My mom opening her temple picture
from the Family.
She bawled and I bawled.
(it is funny how much bawling happens
at the Graham household on such
a wonderful day!)
 

Since Christmas was on a Sunday we

went to Sacrament meeting

together and were touched by

the spirit at a wonderful

program from the ward choir

and other members of my parent's ward.

Celebrating Christ's birth at church

was wonderful!

Christmas EVE

::CHRISTMAS EVE::

Christmas Eve Traditional Family Night

The Entire Graham Family

and

Phil and Allison's Family

• Dinner and Hanging out and Laughing
  

Turkey/Ham/Potatoes/Jello/Rolls/Fruit/Veggies:: 

Typical DELICIOUS Christmas Eve Dinner

• Lots of talking and holding baby Bodie

•  Tracking Santa's progress with cousins and favorite uncles

•  More talking and laughing and taking pictures,singing Christmas hymns and songs, reading nativity scriptures

• opening Christmas Pajamas...usually leads to excitement and wrestling for boys

• Putting out cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer (also sprinkling reindeer food on the front lawn was included but no pictures) And making sure their letters to Santa were all there.

• last minute check of Santa to make sure he hasn't missed our home (they all did great getting to bed on time)

•  all the parents staying up later to put the finishing touches for Christmas morning.(we usually are up to the wee hours of the morning but we actually went to bed at a decent hour. The boys are usually putting something together which leads to lots of laughter. The girls are stuffing stockings and making it all look pretty. My Mom is usually finishing wrapping the bazillions presents she still has left to wrap. And my Dad...ha...is usually sleeping on his bed with tape and gift tags and scraps of paper all around him. I LOVE Christmas Eve at my parent's home! 

What we did in December...

**Fleming Park Ward Christmas Party**

We love this ward so much. Kyle was in charge of getting the evening started and I was busy with the other 3 kids, my wonderful friend Sister Dahlquist (the bishops wife) cuddled Bodie the whole night.

Kyle and the other members of the bishopric had to be the three kings in the program...I am married to a acting star!

My other three festive rugrats at the party.

  Good Food, Good Friends, and an okay program. But it was still a lot of fun!

It put us in the holiday spirit!

 I spent many cold winter days cuddling my little guy while Jantsen and Kambryn were at school and Talan was taking his afternoon nap.
I love my babies!
(and while I cuddled him we admired our Christmas decorations.  Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year!)

My parents were so generous to fly us out to Utah for Christmas. My mom wanted her whole family to be together.  I flew with the 4 kids...BY.MY.SELF on the 19th and Kyle had to stay and work until the 23rd!! I was nervous and scared, but I survived.
We had a lay-over in Denver.  I had to change Talan's diaper, give the kids dinner, feed Bodie and I only had about a 45 minute time frame. But we made it and it was great!
(I definitely used it as leverage over Kyle if I didn't want to change a diaper or get up with Bodie in the night..."Remember when I had to fly with 4 kids by myself? Yeah it is your turn." JK)

:UTAH:

::A get together with some high school buddies::

Kangaroo Zoo is the best place for entertaining kids for the moms who want to chat and catch up!

Shannon:: Ethan and Tayden (due with #3 in May)

Buffy:: Kylie, Jack, Mia and Heber (had a few nephews there too)

Me:: Jantsen, Kambryn, Talan, and Bodie (brought Parker with us too)

::Princess Festival::
Grandma Nana took the 3 girls to a Christmas Princess Festival.
We forgot to bring out one of Kambryn's princess dress-ups
but she was able to borrow one from Eme...hence the "alittle too small" look.
But Kambryn did have a lot of fun.
They taught them all the things they need to know about being a princess...

...as if she didn't "already know".

**Sitting on Santa's Lap**

Riverwoods in Orem

With The Graham Cousins (and Lyla)

Cutest Santa and best "North Pole" set-up I have seen!

It was fun (and cold) waiting in line to see him but it was a fun night!

 Jantsen's list: An Electric Razor

(haha...Santa thought he meant a shaving Razor and was confused)

Clarified list: Electric Scooter

 Kambryn's List: A dollhouse and a princess doll.

(she was very specific)

 Talan: Spiderman

(He walked right up, reached his arms out for Santa to pick him up, said he wanted Spiderman, and then hopped right off his lap. Quick and easy with Talan.)

Bodie hung out in the stroller with Grandma Graham as they both tried to stay warm.

**SANTA AGAIN**
Another Santa Visit with the Smith-side cousins

We stood in line to see "The Cutest Santa" again. 

 Jantsen just wanted to ride the train at the Provo mall, Kambryn was excited and Talan was happy too.

Kambryn went and had a sleepover with Eme. Nice to have wonderful family to take a kid off my hands.

The boys and I hurried to the airport to finally get Kyle.

On the 24th I met my mom at the mall to get some last minute shopping done.

And we were able to squeeze in a train ride for Jantsen.

We were able to fit in all the fun we could over the holiday.  Last minute shopping, Santa visits, parties, dinners, train rides, picking up Kyle from the airport...the list could go on and on.

We had a great week leading up to Christmas Day!