Christmas Eve and Christmas morning!

I love Christmas! I really wish I had more pictures. Liz and Becky both took pics, so if I get some of theirs later on I will do another post.

Christmas Eve we went to the annual Christmas Eve dinner and gift exchange at the Gutierrez home. There were about 30 people... a small crowd compared to what I remember last year. We each buy a $5 gift for the exchange. We bought gifts for kids, some jumping beans and some matchbox cars. Fernie Gutierrez picked the cars and opened it. When Jackson saw the cars, he ran up to Fernie and said "Wow!!!!!" He kept repeating that and following Fernie around. Fernie ended up giving Jackson the cars, it was so nice. guess I got my money's worth with that gift :)

During the party, I remembered that Silvia had assigned me to get the potatoes for funeral potatoes for CHristmas dinner. At 7:30 was when I remembered... and I immediately left and went down the street to Walmart, where they were already closing the store. The "Enter" doors were closed and the security gaurd told me I couldn't go inside... but I went in the "exit" doors anyways! I felt bad for not listening to him... but all I needed was the potatoes! Once I got to the grocery section, another worker stopped me and told me I had to leave. I begged her to let me get the potatoes... and she FINALLY let me. I ran back to the frozen section and got 5 bags of frozen potatoes! I had no cart so my hands were freezing! I felt so accomplished! I couldn't believe walmart closed that early.

After that we came home and waited for Danny to get home from work. He works at Kmart. Jake couldn't stay up any longer and I put him to bed at 11:45. Finally, Danny got home and we got started, about 12:30. We were opening presents and hanging out until 2:30-3ish. Jackson was up the whole time (I'm never doing that again!). Jax wasn't very interested in opening presents because he was so tired. But he enjoyed the toys.

Here are some of the gifts...
Jax got the Hooked on Phonics collection from Grandma and Papa Lew, a play desk from Alan and Liz, a cute chalk board Mom made, a bunch of toys, including singing bear-thingys from Mom and Dave, Chutes and Ladders, Thomas the train, a Veggie Tales DVD from me and Luis, Clothes from Becky and church shoes and lightening mcqueen shoes.

Jacob got a corn popper pusher from me and Luis, shoes from grandma and Papa Lew, a musical helicopter from Alan and Liz, a musical car from Grandma and Grandpa Gibson, clothes from Becky, tons of toys.

I got many gift cards, I can't wait to go on dates with Luis. I also got lots of jewelry. I got some makeup brushes from Luis' siblings, they are so soft! Love them. Candy, a cute family picture frame from mom.

Luis got... a KINDLE, biggest surprise of the night, from his parents. I got him a watch and watch box. Liz and Alan got him a shirt, and so did mom and Dave. He also got cufflinks, some scripture quotes post-ins, gift cards, Night at the Museum.

The most sentimental gift of the night was for Silvia and Lew. Alan and Liz had bought a slide scanner and scanned in all their HUNDREDS of slides from their entire marriage, including the kids' childhoods. They don't own hard copies of pictures, they only had their slides... until now! They have them all as digital copies and can print off any picture they want! It was such an awesome things for them to do!

Christmas morning was so wonderful. We all slept in, even the boys. We had a late breakfast of MOnkey bread. Jacob was more excited about his stocking than Jackson was! We had 8 missionaries over for Christmas dinner, and I ate way too much! It was so good, I love ham! What a wonderful day.

Here are some pictures. Sorry, I am too lazy to label them or even put them in order.