Merry Christmas!

Christmas is so much fun once the kids start to get it! I think Ryan and I were both more excited about Christmas this year for the sake of what Caden was getting than what we would be getting. Thats saying a lot considering Ryan's Black Friday shopping adventure yielded us a Wii console.

Santa brought Caden a train track to go on the train table mom and dad gave him earlier. Mom and dad also supplied the train. There is a video of Caden getting this present, but I can't seem to get it off the camera right now. Watch for it soon.

My parents and Kellie came down to our house to watch the boys open their presents Christmas morning. Eric was only semi interested in unwrapping, but seemed to like the soft cloth book and ball we got him. Caden's favorite toy of the day (by far!) was the car garage Grandma and Grandpa Dodds gave him. He was trying to play with it while Ryan was still putting it together.

When I was growing up my family had a tradition of laying out all our Christmas presents on our bed. Then the cousins would come over and check out what we got and we'd go to their houses to see their piles. I just couldn't put the stuff away this year without putting it in a pile and taking a picture for Caden and Eric's long distance cousins to see. Not pictured are the mirror, folding chairs, piano, and air compressor that Ryan and I got and the growth chart, closet organizer, and sled that the boys got.

After the Christmas morning stuff, we went to Ryan's parents house to spend the day. I made sure to grab the extra camera batteries, but left the camera sitting on the couch at home. :P We had a great time and I'll have to post some of those pictures once Ryan's sisters get around to uploading them somewhere I can steal them from. We had a prime rib dinner, which felt like Christmas to me since my Dodds side of the family frequently holds a prime rib dinner around Christmas time. Caden ate the olives, meat and fresh spinach, but nothing else. How many 2 year olds would be happy eating nothing but salad?

After dinner we went down to the Heritage Place to sing to Ryan's grandma who is living there right now. Caden fell asleep on the way there, so he and I stayed in the car, but Ryan and Eric went in and had a touching experience. Its a unique experience to watch those so close to the end of their life interact with those so close to the start of their life. Its such a poignant reminder of how sweet the new spirits are and where we each will return to some day. It was interesting to ponder that concept on the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, who makes it possible for us to return to heaven.