Is It Really Over?

We've been avoiding the fact that Christmas is really over for the past week. Christmas lights are still on our house, I have an arcade basketball in my living room, and Christmas decor is everywhere....the Christmas tree is still up fully decorated.
Today was Riley's first day back to school after the winter break and I think we all felt it this morning. Even Chase was unhappy that he had to wake up for us to take Riley to school. So since school has started and it is 2011 I'm taking down the Christmas decor, finding spots for the new things and donating the old, and doing the unattended laundry. All while remembering what a fabulous Christmas season we had.  We made a ginerbread train as a FHE project.

Went to the temple to see it all lit up for Christmas.

 And then came Christmas.
We woke up Christmas morning @ 7 am (it's a rule at our house that you can't get up any earlier)
to see what Santa had brought us.

(The flashing red lights are the ornaments that my grandparents gave the boys this Christmas. They were told to put them out Christmas Eve so that Santa would know to stop there.)

We were all completely spoiled by Santa. Riley got a humoungous arcade basketball hoop that we all became a little addicted to.

Chase got a ride on Semi truck that he has mastered climbing on, honking the horn constantly, and driving a bit.

(He was most interested in touching the blinking ornament and eating the snacks Santa had put in his stocking that morning.)
Josh got a hiking backpack that he needed for Scouts and I got some decorative "wagon wheels" for the house.  The boys enjoyed all the things that they got, but the one present that we all loved was watching Chase open his present from us that had "Scout" inside. 

He has been in love with this dog since before his birthday and we have been so good of not giving in and giving it to him.  When I would see it at the store I would give it to Chase to make sure that he still loved it (Josh thinks I'm cruel) and every time his face would just light up.  Scout even says his name!

We enjoyed playing with all the toys....especially Riley's
and then in the late afternoon headed to the church to clean it.
I'm so glad that we had decided to do that and give back to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ even in something as small as cleaning the building on Christmas.
I think it made it the most memorable Christmas ever!

We fit ice skating in @ the very end of the Christmas season with my best friend, Heather.

I wasn't able to be on the ice since we had Chase so I was the photographer.
Riley and Heather were being such goof balls out on the ice.

They even did this for me to get on camera:

(Heather taught Riley the cabbage patch and the sprinkler and he was totally down to do it in front of Heather, his "girlfriend".) Looking back on 2010 I am thankful for everything I have, especially Josh and my boys. And I'm happy to say that we achieved our 2010 family goal of having FHE almost every Monday night with Josh's parents. The few times that we missed were due to being out of town and we still made sure to have FHE with our boys. We can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for us.