Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas!

Our kids are at a really fun age for holidays. They get really into the magic, and the food, and they've just been super excited. 

On Monday we took toffee around to our neighbors. This was a three-day thing that we finished that day, because we're surrounded by so many kind people! The boys had so much fun playing with our neighbor Golden Retrievers for a little while on one of the drop offs. Then that night, we had an Eliason Family zoom program about Christ. My Aunt Maria organized it and it brought me to tears so many times during the short program just because I have so much love for all of my extended family. Such good, good people. There were so many faces on that Zoom call and after being the only grandkid who lives out of state for years and years, I couldn't help but recognize the joy of this particular side effect from this year -- we're better at connecting with each other from far away now. We love our weekly Daetwyler zoom call, and this virtual Eliason Christmas party that I normally would have just missed really made me happy.

On Tuesday my Grandma's piano was delivered! It felt like our own little Christmas miracle. Moving a piano is a thing... but it wasn't too bad and it's here and safe. My boys have been playing it a lot ever since and I'm excited to start giving them the very beginnings of piano lessons.

On Christmas Eve Eve our sweet neighbors had Westin and Bennett over for dinner with their two granddaughters and their other friend. They had so much fun having dinner over there and watching a movie, and they gave them the sweetest gift of an adopted elephant, with a stuffed elephant. They'll get monthly updates about Bondeni, an orphaned elephant in Kenya that they get to feel tied to now. Michael and Camden and I got Thai takeout that night and Camden was the happiest camper, and we remembered how Westin used to get that much attention every single day of his life. Sweet Cam Cam.

On Christmas Even Michael worked half of a day while the boys and I made huge cinnamon rolls and a batch of rolls to take to Katie's house. We used 13.5 cups of flour in one go which is my new record. Then we went on a hike by the reservoir before coming home and watching The Grinch (the new animated one) while I made pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and salad. Then we baked our cinnamon rolls and had one for dessert plus leftovers for breakfast with our sausage and hashbrown bake. We finished our ornaments and put the boys to bed around 7:30. Then Michael fell asleep and I put out Christmas and even burned my arm in the oven the next day, true story -- here's the reference if you don't know what I'm talking about. Really that video just made us laugh so much and I do see how much more fun it is to make magic for your kids than to receive. 

Christmas morning was fun for the boys! They were so excited about sleds from grandma, and soccer goals from Aunt Katie, plus a crystal growing kit, and they loved opening the gifts they picked out for each other (space puzzle & snowball maker for Bennett from Westin, a racetrack looping into a shark mouth for Westin from Bennett). My Christmas was cozy-themed now that we're in Colorado, with boots from Ed and Sally and slippers from Michael, and Michael got... a bidet. Haha. Figured the best 2020 gift for Michael is something that promotes sustainability and less need for toilet paper. We Facetimed family here and there and felt really loved by all the people we wish we could have been in person with!

After lunch we drove down to Katie's and she makes the best turkey I've ever had. We brought rolls and salad, and she made green beans and rice too, and it was so delicious and so fun to be with family on Christmas day. We stayed there for the weekend and the boys went on walks, played at the playground, made a gingerbread house, looked for bugs in their new bug catchers, stayed up way too late talking, and watched Soul. It's so good. We also watched the new Mulan one night after they were in bed and it was so, so good too.

We came home Sunday and this week it'll be time to put Christmas away and get straightened up and ready for the new year! 

Hazel and Ollie are the sweetest neighbor dogs

I LOVED our Eliason Christmas party over Zoom

"I'm a dangerous animal with horns... charging you!"

The piano is here!

Camden loved playing around on the piano.

Christmas cards are the thing that I'm always saddest to take down after Christmas.
Camden loves to be lifted up to my parents card so he can say, "Dada!" when he points to Michael.

Christmas Eve Eve dinner with their friends

Watching a video of their elephant

Movie night! Of course Bennett is sitting by Bacon.
He actually got bit by a dog this week on the nose (not this dog) and it shocked me because he's been all over dogs his entire life and he's never been bit. It could have been MUCH worse -- didn't even bleed. But it's quite the mark still and he cried and cried for about 7 minutes, then wiped his tears on my shoulder and looked at me and laughed and told us later he "just loves that puppy dog" and gave her some pets. That's Bennett's heart. For the record she was a good dog and was really patient with him but we should have noticed sooner that she wanted a break from his attention.

Camden's stuffed elephant from our sweet neighbor

When 13 cups of flour doubles in size...

I always make a small-batch cinnamon roll recipe in a 9x13 but decided to go bigger this year so we could share with Katie. These turned out yummy! We'll probably stick with this recipe now and freeze them.

Our other neighbor brought the boys some legos and a stuffed version of their Hazel and Ollie that the boys love to play with. Such kind people!

Doubled again!

A little hike over Horsetooth Reservoir

Camden is over the Ergo and hates being carried, so he was a pain on our little hike.
But we'll bust out our hiking backpack next time and see if that helps.

This is just 10 minutes from our house.

Grinch time!

Cinnamon Rolls are definitely the most photographed item in my kitchen efforts...
They're just so fun to see take shape!

These books are a labor of love but Bennett loved looking through his.
They're mostly a gift for me right now but I think someday they'll be glad to have 18 yearbooks from growing up.

Christmas Night!
I stayed up and finished a show while wrapping, then when it was all done I sat on the couch by our tree and finished my book. I love being by the tree at night.

Bennett started crying when he saw this picture because "I just miss grandpa so much."

Ali sent me a screenshot from when we were facetiming Christmas morning and Camden had a toothbrushing break. No holidays from oral hygiene around here.

Cute Elise on her first Christmas!
Ali gave me rubber spatulas since I own none and have been meaning to pick some up for, oh, six years now. Haha thanks sister.

Made it to Katie's! So many little boys :)

Bennett stayed right there until ever single piece of candy from that kit was somewhere on that house.
Dedication.

They wanted to get their crystals started as soon as we got home!