The Night Before Christmas...

The Night Before Christmas we traveled to Mona for or annual Neilsen Family Christmas Party. (That's Brett's mom's side of the family.) Before we left we opened our traditional Christmas Eve gifts... Pajamas! Brett says it's not the most exciting thing to open. Isaac seemed excited, then he wanted another gift! 

We branched out this year and had the party at the church due to everyone's family growing! (It was getting a little cramped in grandma's house!) Grandma had a little present for all the grandkids... Isaac got a singing book, which he thought was great! 

Great Grandma Neilsen and Isaac

Isn't this picture precious?!

Great Grandma Neilsen and all of the Great Grandchildren

We ate Ham and potatoes - a Neilsen Family staple for this party and lot's of other yummy food! Nancy put together all of the games for the party, she did a great job! Her and Emilee made the "Neilsen Family Bingo Game." We had everyone's picture on a Bingo card. It is such a cute game. There were several prizes and if Brett or I got Bingo, Isaac was thrilled to pick out our present... which of course was for him! 

Uncle Allen's family sang one of their Christmas songs, Aunt Peggy's family shared favorite Christmas memories and I read a story while the kids played, pass the present. 

The Dansie Family All Together for Christmas!

This year was a special Christmas because it's the first year Nancy and LaMonte were back from their mission, and we were all together! 

The Neilsen Family Bunch!

This is also the first year we were able to ALL be together for this Neilsen Family Party. Everyone was off their missions and before any more leave... we were all together again! It was very fun.

Waiting For Santa...

You think after a long day of traveling, playing, and presents Isaac would have fallen asleep on the way home. No such luck! He was so wired and knew Santa was coming. We tried to tell him he had to be asleep for Santa to come but Isaac said he would wait for him and answer the door. In the meantime, we put out Santa's plate of Cookies and Milk and carrots for the reindeer. Isaac picked out this plate earlier in the month and told EVERYONE who came over what it was for. He would tell them where the carrots would sit, and where the cookies had to go. He has been so excited to leave Santa cookies and milk! We wrote Santa a little note and Isaac seemed thrilled, but of course... he needed one of Santa's cookies too! 

I have to add this now while I'm thinking about it. In the morning he finally noticed Santa's plate of cookies. In a very NON excited tone he said, "Santa ate all the cookies??? And drank of the milk???" We tried to tell him that it was a good thing and that Santa was hungry and he loved the snack! Isaac didn't seem to care, he seemed more annoyed. Then he saw the note... "Santa didn't take my note??" He was really upset! We tried to show him Santa wrote him a note on the back... he really didn't care... he wanted Santa to take his note with him. *Note to self next year, have Santa take the note! (and maybe leave a cookie or two!) Even today, he saw this picture and started complaining again, "Santa ate all the cookies!! Now all the cookies are ALL GONE!" Wow... not really what I had imagined!