Our First Christmas at home

  This was the first Christmas we were at our own house on Christmas day!  Wes didn't have any time off besides Christmas day, so we decided to stay home and Wes's parents came to visit us.  It was a lot of fun!  The kids loved their presents and had so much fun playing with them and all being together.  We went to Washington last weekend and had "Christmas" with my parents and brother and that was a lot of fun too.  It was especially nice to have extra hands to help with the kids, especially little cutie pie Shelten who is wanting to be held A LOT!!!  This first picture of him is already outdated a month, but had to show him in his cute little church outfit.

  I combined piano recitals for the first time with a friend who also has 5 students.  The kids all did great.  This is the most motivated and talented group I've ever taught--not that I haven't taught others who were talented, but this whole bunch has the music "gene," usually I have at least one student who is just not too thrilled about playing piano, but these kids all seem to love it and it makes teaching them so much fun!!!

Christmas morning!!

Here's the kid's art kits they got from Grandma and Papa.  They love drawing and making things!!

I think this is the only individual picture I got of Kelston that turned out during Christmas.  He has such a cute smile but can be tricky to get a good picture out of.  He all of the sudden has learned how to draw people--I love it--and so this game is fun for him, and you don't even have to know how to read to play it!

Jazlyn's major request from Santa this year was books.  She's already read 5 of her 10 new books as of yesterday (some of those were from grandparents too).

I love this picture!!!  Christmas is so fun with kids.  I didn't photograph some of the other fun things they received, but they've loved playing with their race car set and fort sets, I'll have to sneak some pictures of them doing that soon!

 I'm so grateful for the Christmas season to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is the ultimate example and the strength that helps me through each and every day.  I owe all I have and am blessed with to Him, our Creator, and Redeemer.  Hope you're all having a merry New Year!