Christmas 2009

This Christmas has by far been one of those Christmases that just doesn't feel like Christmas. The Anderson/Garthe home has been so chaotic, with moving, not moving, working like crazy, and just not feeling much like diving into Christmas. But we managed to have a pretty good Christmas despite our lack of Christmas spirit.We spent Christmas even morning at my Sister-n-law's work party. It was nice they had lunch and Santa for all the employee's families. Anna invited us all to go and we had a nice time. The kids got to sit with Santa and he gave them each a $10 gift card to Target. Pretty sweet deal! That afternoon we went to Claim Jumper with my family for dinner. My mom was sick with the stomach flu so she stayed home but the rest of us enjoyed some yummy dinner. Then we went back home and did our semi-traditional Christmas program. We each prepared a message or song to share. It was nice. Then my little family headed to the Garthe/Burke home to open our Christmas Eve gifts. (Pajamas!) And to see Anna and Bobby open their gift. This year all the adult couples drew names. We drew Anna and Bobby and Bobby was going to be with his family for Christmas so this was the only time we would see him. Since I made their gift, at least part of it, I wanted to see them open it. I was really nervous about them. You never know how someone will react to a homemade gift. To my surprise they both LOVED them!!!! They are huge Football fans. Bobby especially LOVES the Chargers. So I made them each a Charges Apron. (Both Anna and Bobby really enjoy cooking.) Anna's apron was more girly with a cute ruffle skirt and more curvy. And Bobby's was more masculine and straight. We also gave them a Pazookie pan set. Which is the best if you love Pazookies. I am so glad that they enjoyed their gifts.

(Sorry the photo is blurry. But you can see the aprons that I made for Anna & Bobby.)

Then we headed back home to put the kids to bed. They both konked out on the way home. Which is very unusual for Madison, but she didn't have much of a nap.




A few weeks before Christmas the primary had a Christmas activity and gave each child a bag of glitter and oatmeal to sprinkle on the lawn. A note was attached to the bag telling the children that the glitter will glisten so Santa will know to come to your home and the reindeer will smell the oatmeal. Charles asked me almost every night if it was time to put the special stuff on the lawn. And of course when it came time to actually do it he had fallen asleep in the car on the way home from Grandmas. As I was changing him into his jammies (he was still TOTALLY asleep) then all of a sudden he sits up and says Mom we have to put the stuff on the grass so Santa and the Reindeer's can find our house. I told him I would do it and had to take a picture to prove it. John thought I was crazy for doing it, but my little boy had been wanting it done for a very long time and I couldn't let him down.

Christmas morning was nice. The kids aren't at the I can't sleep because I'm too excited stage which is great for us. When Charles woke up I had to remind him that it was Christmas. He was very excited. (Grandma & Grandpa stayed in bed and let us have our own little Christmas as a family.) Daddy went down stairs to see if Santa came and to light the fire. In our house Santa fills the stockings and brings one gift and he leaves it unwrapped. All the other gifts under the tree are from mommy and daddy and those ones are wrapped. This year Santa brought all of us Disneyland passes. We were SO EXCITED!!!! The kids got some good gifts from mommy and daddy and had a great time opening them. Then we had breakfast with my family and then opened presents from each other after that.





It was a year for making aprons; I made Charles and Madison each one and Aunt Goo too!

Mid afternoon we went to the Garthe/Burke home to to Christmas with them. The kids did pretty good. It's hard with some many people trying to remember who gave you or your family what. But we are thankful for all the great gifts we got. Then we hung out and had dinner. It was a great day!