Christmas 2019

Haha those excited eyes!

Looking through stockings!

Santa brought exactly what she asked for and she was THRILLED!

And just like that, a chef was born!

The sibling gifts were from Five Below this year--and hiding from each other around the store while each kid picks out their gift for their sibling (they draw them in a hat before we leave) is always one of my favorite things. This year they spent especially long scoping out the store and Molly was finally SO EXCITED to pick this out for Russ!

Daddy putting in all the batteries!

Another Five Below gift. This was hilarious-when we were in the store every. single. one. of my oldest three kids came up to me and told me about the pillow that was daddy's school that we should get for him. They were so excite for him to love it!

Another sibling gift--Ruthie could not believe her good luck when there was a PINK UNICORN that was SOFT for Grace, because everyone knows Grace is in love with anything soft.

This book from Grandma Cindy was the biggest hit of the year I think (as I write this six months past Christmas) and we are STILL hearing all the facts. The primary one that comes up most often is that flies have compound eyes. Also we hear a lot about ants. Molly LOVES bugs, and wants to be an entomologist when she grows up. She has LOVED this gift.

This pocket knife was also a HUGE hit---he learned to whittle!

Thank you hugs for sibling gifts.

This watch she still wears every day, six months later. 

Thank you Grandma Cindy! I love Strange Planet so much.

Will picked out Molly's gift--a bed tent. Everyone still loves it! 

It really was such a grand Christmas. We really kept it simple with the kids, but between having five of them, so it looked like lots of presents, and the fun of giving gifts to siblings (we've done this the last few years but this year just seemed especially good) it just seemed like the perfect magical Christmas for everyone. I'm hoping that magic lasts a few more years!!!