Christmas

 On Christmas Eve, my family always goes to a movie and Chinese food.  This year we went to We Bought a Zoo because it looked like it would be a cute, kid friendly show.  It was cute, but it wasn't like hold-my-kids'-attention-cute.  It really was more adult subject matter.  Oh well.  The kids were really good through it, and we made it through dinner afterward without any meltdowns.  Probably our best year ever for that. 

We also open sibling gifts on Christmas Eve, so this year E and Sammi gave each other jammies, and then my siblings and I exchanged.  It was weird not having Brad there since he is on his mission, but I think he still got spoiled pretty well.  It was so much fun to talk to him and Ben's brother Michael over Christmas! 

We spent Christmas morning with my family and then spent the rest of the day at Ben's family's house and enjoyed seeing everyone there and playing games and watching A Christmas Carol.  Emerson just played with Grandpa Tom's train until it ran out of batteries.

 Right before we left Ohio in November, Emerson's preschool teachers helped him hurry and finish his Christmas gift to his parents.  It was an adorable calendar all made of handprints to be different animals and objects coordinating with each month.  I was so excited to receive my first parent gift!  I think I got a little teary even.

 Excited little Sammi May.

 With her (mom's) stocking.

 E with his stocking.

 The kids in front of the tree

 And a mere 10 hours later...

Christmas Morning!

 I heart Sammi's crazy morning hair.

The haul (for the entire Johnson family...not just our kids!)

A Merry Christmas to all!

E's haul included:

Misty Island Take-A-Long set

2 Tonka trucks

Thomas collapsing bridge

Lego Duplo camping set

Clothes

Golf clubs (Grandpa couldn't resist)

The Lion King movie

Matchbox cars

Thomas shirt

Thomas movies

Thomas Uno game

Sammi's haul included:

Play kitchen with playfood

Mini kitchen utensils

Doll clothes

Purse with dress-up jewelry

Fisher Price Zoo with animals

Clothes

Toy piggy bank
Stacking ring toy

Play phone

On Christmas night we headed up to my family's condo in Midway so we could have easy access to Daniels Summit because Santa happened to arrange for a family snowmobiling trip!  Grandma graciously volunteered to watch the kids and the rest of us had a wonderful time.  It was cold, and most of us got stuck and/or had our engine flood, but it was a blast.  We had a great time.  I learned not to be adventurous though, because every time I would try to venture off the path and follow other people, I'd get stuck somehow.  It didn't help that my reverse button malfunctioned and kept killing my engine...but still.  I was much more cautious after the first few times it happened.  We were all amazingly sore the next day.  You wouldn't think it was a strenuous activity, but it is.  When your thighs are tightly clenched and your thumb is holding down the accelerator and you are leaning over and counterbalancing...it is hard work.

We wrapped up our vacation with a killer New Year's party at both sides of the family.  We were able to get together with high school friends for dinner, Logan friends for lunch and the Treehouse Museum, have a graduation dinner for Natalie at The Five Alls, go to dinner at Jenny and Troy's house and be bribed with Swedish fish, go to lunch with Christine and David and Emily and Elise at Tucanos, and spend lots of time with both families.  We went to a few University of Utah basketball games where E cheered "Utah State!  Utah State!" very cutely and loudly while wearing his Ute sweatshirt and waving his flag, and ate at lots of yummy places.  Ben worked for his parents for many many hours helping them prepare to move, and then move, and then getting things set up in the new house and things cleaned up at the old house.  I gladly took the job of tending to the kiddos each day.  We did so many fun things, I just know I've left things out!

It was so hard to leave after spending two months in Utah, but it was also nice to get back to our little house in Columbus.  Luckily everything was in order and we had zero major disasters. The kids just wandered around the day after we were back wondering where everyone was.  Just stuck with boring old Mom and Dad.  Bwahaha!  Thanks everyone for putting up with us for two whole months.  We loved it.