Our dream of a White Christmas came true this year! Snow was falling and it definitely added to the magic of Christmas! The kids slept in until 8 am. We didn’t complain. It was nice to sleep in. Vanessa and Owen quickly ran down stairs and were so excited to see that there were presents under the tree and that Santa came! They got even more excited when they saw that Santa ate their cookies and left them a letter!
After all the excitement, we had them eat breakfast before opening presents. They quickly downed their meal and gathered around the tree. This year, we started a new tradition of giving a gift to the Savior. We got a small box and at the beginning of the month sat down as a family and wrote down on a piece of paper what we would give the Savior this year and we worked on it through the month. So before opening presents, we opened the box and read what each of our gifts were and talked about how we worked on it. It was a great way to bring the true meaning of Christmas into our home and remember the Savior.
After that, it was time for all of us to dive in and open presents! Vanessa was so thrilled that she got her Big Princess Aurora doll! She also got the Tinker bell Secret of the Wings DVD, Disney Princess Wii game, The Little Mermaid Barbie doll, a little princess doll house, Barbie clothes, coloring books, pens and books.
Owen was ecstatic that he got his Switch and Go Dino. He wanted it out of the box as soon as possible. He also got some Dino Riders, Star Wars Ships, Ninjas toys, squinkies, books, and the Disney Just Dance Wii game.
Sariah had fun playing in all of the paper! She got a Snow White Baby doll, Cinderella and Prince Charming Little People, books, a musical train, clothes, and a big box of balloons. She loved playing in all of the balloons!
I was surprised with an electric sander!!! I can’t tell ya how excited I am about this!! I also got a paint can attachment, a pink jacket, IPod jogging case and a steam and sweep.
Mark got a new tool bag, tools, pants, shirts, and the Avenger movie. We definitely were spoiled this year!
Mark’s parents and sisters came over while we were opening presents. It was fun to share that with them. We played with our new things for a while then got ready and headed over to the Grandpa and Grandma Sorensen’s house. We spent the day with them playing games and having fun. We were also able to Skype with my brother, Elder Cody Mendoza. It was so good to see him and talk with him about his experiences he is having in Uruguay. He looks so happy! It is truly a testimony of the reality of this church and what a mission can do for young people. I am so proud of all of the changes he is making and the wonderful man he is turning into. We are glad that we were able to have that opportunity to see him.
After everyone was at the house, we were able to exchange our gifts with each other. Solomon gave me some awesome yoga pants! Mark got the Short Circut movie, the kids got some toys and clothes. We really enjoyed this Christmas season and all the fun things we got to do as a family! Merry Christmas!!!
