Christmas 2009

Sorry, but I am blogging about Christmas in March. I am really going to try to catch up before the baby comes...so bare with me!

This year we spent Christmas in Utah. Heidi and her family moved there last February so we thought a white Christmas would be fun.

A few days before Christmas the daddy's took the kids out for a snow day while the mommy's went and did last minute Christmas shopping.

One night we all went up to the Temple to see the lights. It was beautiful and it really kept the spirit of Christmas. Despite the freezing cold weather we had a great time.

Christmas Eve morning the kids all made cookies for Santa. Yes, that is 10 kids decorating cookies- lets just say Santa had plenty of cookies this year!

Addyson really likes this part of Christmas! One cookie for Santa and two for her!

We started the evening off with Ma & Papa presents. They all waited and one at a time they opened their presents (ma and papa didn't want to miss a thing!). Addyson and Gwen were the only girls out of 11 boys so they got the girliest presents...and loved every bit of it! Thanks ma and papa.

The Chandler's have a Christmas Program every year and it is so much fun. So we thought that we would do it with my family this year and call it what it really is, a "Talent Show" (sorry Martie)! It turned out to be a blast.

1. Getting ready for the Talent Show is hard work! Steve is and always will be the family electrician. The light had to go up so we had room for the "talents".

2. Ma started off the night with a beautiful piano piece and then we all sang a few carols for the kids.

3. The kids were all dancing around while we waited patiently for Matt and family to get ready for their talent (it was well worth the wait!).

4. The Weibell's sang a song but I didn't get any pictures. They also did a "Kung Fu Fighting" dance.

5. Uncle Nick leading us in some Christmas Carols while waiting for families to get ready.

6. Matt, Melinda and family did a Russian Dance. I don't think our family has ever laughed so hard. Their outfits and dance will never be forgetten!!!

7. Addyson and me singing and acting out the "12 Days of Christmas" (Addy did this for her school Christmas Program and really wanted to do it for the family).

8. DJ and Rachel doing the "Evolution of Dance" another very funny talent. They were cracking us up.

9. If you don't already know, Steve has a way with poetry (he can thank his mom for that!). So Steve wrote a very funny poem about the Radmachers.

10. Addyson on Landon's lap...she is obsessed with "her boys".

11. Last but definitely not least, was David and Jonah's song. I guess Jonah loves to make up songs. David just starts to play and Jonah starts making up songs...and they make sense! It really was so sweet.

After the talent show we ended the night of with the Nativity. It was nice to know that even with all the fun and craziness that came with the talent show we can all stop and remember why we celebrate Christmas. We ran out of kids so we made DJ be one of the wise men (he didn't complain much!) and Addyson was the beautiful Mary.

Every night it was so hard getting the kids to bed...not Christmas Eve! They were all VERY good about going to bed! It was fun setting everything out for Santa. Uncle Nick read "The Night before Christmas" and snuck in his favorite childhood book.

We all look awesome- I know! This was the only family picture we took the whole week so I had to use it.

Addyson's face when she saw that Santa ate the cookies and drank the milk was priceless. Addyson asked Santa for binoculars, a magnifying glass, and a computer. I guess she was a good girl this year because she made out!!! Steve gave me a beautiful painting of the Sacramento Temple, and I gave him a new Bible. I have been wanting this painting of the temple for a few years and this year I got 3 of them!!! Christmas morning when I got it from Steve I cried I was so happy. That night when we did our sibling exchange Steve and I got the same painting from Heidi and Nick. I was so shocked! Then when Steve was telling his parents that day on the phone that he and Heidi and Nick got the same thing we realized that they got it for us for Christmas. Yes that makes 3 of the same painting...I guess that those who love me, know me! At that point all we could do was laugh.

Our own little photo shoot!

1. Me 6 months pregnant!

2. Addy being cute!

3. Ma and Addyson

4. Daddy showing Addyson how to use her new computer.

5. Papa cleaning up after us all!!!

After presents were all over we sent papa to the BBQ and the kids out to play in the snow.

We had such a fun time. The only problem was it went by way too fast. Thanks Weibell's for allowing over 20 rowdy family members into your house for over a week. You guys were awesome! There is nothing like family that time of year.

Just kidding, there was one more thing that happened during our Christmas break. Milo Dean was blessed. It was very beautiful and we are so happy that we were able to spend that day with them.