Christmas 2008

Christmas is over. Just like that. All the preparations and excitement and then it's just over. I absolutely love getting out all the Christmas decorations, but I am dreading putting them away. Before it's 2009 and in an attempt to hold onto Christmas (and prolong the cleanup), my nostalgic personality will attempt to summarize our Christmas celebrations. (Again...sorry for all the pictures but the boys' faces say more than my words ever could.)

We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas. It was low-key but full of laughter and joy. Here are the boys enjoying themselves under the Christmas tree after church on Christmas eve...And this one cracks me up. I think they are dreaming about Christmas morning...
And it just wouldn't be the Rothwell house without a little bit of wrestling under the tree...
Me and Graham...This was the best attempt at a picture with my boys...
Me and Levi...
Clearly, the boys (and their dad) were getting a little hyper and a good picture was no longer possible. Boys will be boys.
This picture is probably my favorite. While I was upstairs giving Graham a bath and getting on his jammies, the boys created an obstacle course in the living room and were jumping all over the furniture. Before jumping from the hutch to the couch they would give each other a big hug.
And this picture of Michael reading the Christmas story to the boys makes me smile...
Wow, they were really wound up before bed.
We finally got the boys to bed and Michael and I began the several hour process of getting the toys and house ready for Christmas morning. I'm not even going to talk about how impossible it is to get a toy out of its box because it will just get me upset.
The boys were so excited Christmas morning to discover that Santa did arrive. (Shhh...don't tell Graham that most of the things in his stocking were things just taken from our playroom. Seriously, there is not one more little toy or book for a 1 year old boy that we could possibly own!)
Graham loved his new alphabet train. He got right on and started cruising all over the house.
He really could have cared less about any other present he got because he was too busy eating his (and his brothers') animal crackers.
The boys loved their new canyon train track. (Santa wasn't aware of how big this toy was until it was put together. Because our playroom is already filled with other train tracks, it looks like this is what will be greeting visitors in our entryway. Lovely, I know. Thanks, Santa!)
The boys spent most of the morning scouting out their new toys.
We then attempted to clean up and get ready for Michael's family to arrive later that afternoon. We had a big scare when Graham crawled into the kitchen where Michael and I were cooking and began to spit out and choke on about 15 of the little balls from Hungy Hungry Hippos. I nearly had a heart attack.

The boys had a great time with their mimi and papa and aunts and uncles. Here's Levi getting some help from Uncle Steven with a new car...
And this is Graham with his new Thomas ride-on. He now has a vehicle for each day of the week.
Ben likes the Thomas too...
Mimi reading stories to Ben the next morning. Can you tell he just woke up?!
Mimi and Papa with their youngest grandson...
We had a great couple of days with them and then got ready to celebrate with my side of the family after my mom returned from Colorado. I was so glad the kids would be getting more toys because they just didn't have enough. Ha!
Here's some of the kiddos attempting a funny face...
Graham playing with a new toy from his cousins...
Opening some presents...
Ben and Grandma...
Levi and Eli...
Ok, enough pictures. While I recognize that with little ones it is quite possible for everything to go wrong on Christmas, this year was peaceful and happy. I am most thankful for...
- Healthy kids through all the Christmas activities (it really is a miracle)
- Family who traveled here to be with us so that the boys could have Christmas at home
- The means to give our kids their Christmas wishes
- Family who loves our kids and seeks to make Christmas special for them
- Fun cousins to celebrate with
- Most importantly, a God who loved us enough to send His Son to live among us and bring us hope.

Happy New Year!