Merry Christmas!

Our 2011 Christmas card
and then there's this!

Weihnachtsmann

Weihnachtsmann (German Santa) comes on Christmas Eve while the children are awake.  He usually knocks on the door and leaves the presents.  Or the old man himself shows up at the door!  And everyone opens their presents.  We had a nice family dinner together on this day.  Jorg and Rebecca ran outside, because they thought they heard the Weihnachtsmann!  And we opened all the presents under our tree.

eating all the chicken skin.  she loves the skin like her daddy.

"How many more songs do we have to sing, daddy?"

so excited!

watching the pyramid spin:

Unicorn made by her Omi, blue monkey from mommy, and Ken doll from Jorg. (and a few more)

Christmas Eve

(we did not get a white Christmas this year - though the...car dust?...looks like snow in the photo)
Magnificent dinner and Pageant at Aunt Kay and Margaret's House:

My dad shared some family Christmas memories and memories of his dad, my Papa, Clair Aldrich.  He also made everyone a copy of this photo of my Papa and a quote copied directly from his mission journal:  "That which we persist in doing becomes easy to do; not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do has increased."

Look at how cute William is - I can't stand it!

Little Sophie just loved Logan...she would look at him and just start giggling.  It was the cutest thing!

Logan made the perfect Baby Jesus:

Rebecca was excited to be an angel.  And later, an elf :)

Christmas Morning

She got her wishes from Santa:  A Merliah Barbie and a talking tea set.  "I WAS a good girl this year!"

So fun playing Just Dance (thanks Kristin)!

We went to the 11:00 ward that morning (since we are in Utah and we can do that!) and enjoyed a wonderful Christmas program at church.

Christmas Day

McKinlay Family Party:

the cousins exchanging gifts :)

And we headed home, with full tummies, and hearts full of gratitude and love!  We talked about how lucky we are to have our amazing families.  We both feel so loved by my family (immediate and extended).  And so loved by Jorg's family.  And I know that my Savior and Heavenly Father also know us and love us with that same love.  Eternally grateful.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!  (thought those little barbie sandals were so cute sitting there on the couch after she'd gone to sleep.)

Christmas Wishes 2011

My camera cut out at the end, but I plan to make it a tradition of interviewing her each Christmas season.  I love watching her interview from last year and noticing the changes in her speech and how much she's grown up.  I love her to pieces :)

Makin' those Gingerbread Houses - thanks Mimi!

We Like Decorations!

Had so much fun decorating with this little princess.  "Oh Martha, Oh Christmas!!!!"

Jorgi brought this tree home from Sam's Club.  It's a pretty one!  You can see some random stuff Rebecca put in the tree like, a bracelet, her Crocodile leash, a scarf, and you can see Diamond the Elf hiding in the tree.  He's a new tradition this year.  He goes to see Santa each night to report Rebecca's...doings.  And each morning when he returns to our house, he hides in a different spot.
*I noticed (and I admit) that I'm slightly obsessed with our Christmas tree this year!  Looks so pretty to me!

Christmas-ing

(bleh quality pictures from my phone)
Ward Party:  It's Santa!!!! I know him!

When she hopped off his lap, she was all smiles. She said that when she told Santa she wanted Merliah for Christmas, he didn't even ask, "Who's Merliah?" (like everyone else does - she's a barbie mermaid by the way....) So he must know who Merliah is, and he really IS the REAL SANTA!!!

More pictures from the party:  Cute London Braithwaite.  We love her and LOVE when we get to babysit her from time to time!  And Elli Roylance holding Rebecca - she stood in line with her the entire time waiting to see Santa and played with her all night.  What a sweetheart!  (She broke her wrist the next day and Rebecca drew her a picture of the polar express and delivered it to her, along with a sucker, to help her feel better.)

Her room decorations:  a winter scene she made with Omi and Grandpa last year including reindeer made out of chestnuts, Christmas tree with kinder egg ornaments, and a wooden statue of Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus from Mimi and Papa.

cool photo of our tree:

and me with my girl in 2007:

and 2011:

I'm a lucky momma :)