are truly blessed. We had a great holiday season spent with lots and lots of family and it was so much fun! Our festivities start out on Christmas Eve day when all the Clayton cousins (minus one family of three kids) get together and have a little party. The cousins (there were 23 total) draw names and we have a little lunch and then they exchange gifts. This year was our turn to host the party. We had pizza and just visited and then had the gift exchange.
These are the growing boys of the family! They are eagerly eating their pizza and cookies while getting a couple words in between bites!
There are lots of little girls in this family, but aren't these two boys just adorable?
Everyone gets the present they are giving and sits in a circle while Uncle Matt explains the spin the bottle game..
Time to start opening, one by one! It takes awhile, and the kids do get restless, but they all enjoy seeing what the others got and it makes it more meaningful to those who picked out their special cousin gift! So fun!
Tucker was ecstatic when he opened a remote control car! What an awesome gift from Courtney! He sure loved it!Christmas Eve we spend at Matt's parents. They always make Chicken Cordon Blue with lots of sides...YUMMY!! We have a tradition there also where the kids act out the nativity scene. This year Tucker got to be Joseph, Tanner was a wise man, Bridget was a star, and Bayli got to play "Silent Night" for all of us to sing. It was pretty neat to see these sweet children acting out the most important event of the season. Not much of a dry eye in the place!
Bridget, the star, checks out the baby Jesus (Tobin)...
Tucker and Courtney lovingly acting out Mary and Joseph!
Silent Night was the closing song...Tanner did the sign language while the rest of us sang. It was pretty neat. And what is Christmas Eve without the new jammies to wear for Christmas day!
Looks like Santa found his way here...now time for a little shut-eye before Tucker makes his debut at 4:30 in the dang morning! That kid is amazing! He can go and go on no sleep! We did make him wait until 6:30. Plus, Santa wrapped all of their gifts this year, even their stockings, so they were told they could look at anything that wasn't wrapped...which is nothing! Tucker did get bored and took his stocking to his room to "sneak" opening what was inside!
Bayli is obsessed with all things Zebra! She got some zebra bedding to go with her already "wild" room!
Tucker is trying out his wiggle car Santa brought...pretty fun!
Poor Bridget didn't feel so good when she woke up Christmas morning. This is her stack of gifts that she was half-heartedly excited about.
Santa brought and X-Box for our family and Rock Band to go with. These boys were in seventh heaven! Not to mention their dad...
Tanner got a rip stick from Santa after asking for one for over a year! He was stoked!
Bayli with her bedding and new sheets...she was also very happy that Santa brought her an IPod too. 
She perked right up after her treatment and we went home with instructions to take it easy!
So...we went home and played with our new kitchen and wiggle car! A perfect prescription for feeling good!
Bayli's new bed...
Dad and the boys rocking the Rock Band!
Tucker trying his hand at the drums...
Looks like Santa found his way here...now time for a little shut-eye before Tucker makes his debut at 4:30 in the dang morning! That kid is amazing! He can go and go on no sleep! We did make him wait until 6:30. Plus, Santa wrapped all of their gifts this year, even their stockings, so they were told they could look at anything that wasn't wrapped...which is nothing! Tucker did get bored and took his stocking to his room to "sneak" opening what was inside!
Bayli is obsessed with all things Zebra! She got some zebra bedding to go with her already "wild" room!
Tucker is trying out his wiggle car Santa brought...pretty fun!
Poor Bridget didn't feel so good when she woke up Christmas morning. This is her stack of gifts that she was half-heartedly excited about.
Santa brought and X-Box for our family and Rock Band to go with. These boys were in seventh heaven! Not to mention their dad...Tanner got a rip stick from Santa after asking for one for over a year! He was stoked!
Bayli with her bedding and new sheets...she was also very happy that Santa brought her an IPod too. We had lots of fun watching the kids open their gifts and then set everything up for the day. We made a run to Matt's parents for a little breakfast and opening of more gifts.
On our way home from their house, Bridget's fever spiked and her breathing became so labored. I got pretty nervous...she had the famous "barking" cough associated with croup, so I called my wonderful cousin, Tyler (a PA at the ER) and he told me to bring her over and he would check her out. We ended up taking her to the ER to get a breathing treatment and some steroids to help get her over the worst of it! I am so grateful to Tyler and his family for helping us out in a desperate situation! It was pretty scary for me since I have never dealt with croup before.
She perked right up after her treatment and we went home with instructions to take it easy!
So...we went home and played with our new kitchen and wiggle car! A perfect prescription for feeling good!
Bayli's new bed...
Dad and the boys rocking the Rock Band!
Tucker trying his hand at the drums...So, Christmas day was wonderful, eventful, and unforgettable!
The day after Christmas we had a party at our house with my dad, step-mom, Grandma, and brothers. We just hung out and ate lots of good snacks. It was nice and laid-back.
The next day, the kids and I loaded up our car and took off for the long journey to St. George to be with the rest of my family for the week! Matt stayed behind to work for a couple of days and then flew in for the New Year.
I have no pictures...we had too much fun to worry about finding the camera, I guess! The girls got to have pedicures, their gift from grandma (even Bridget held still for a whole pedi with the big girls)! They got to see the movie "Princess and the Frog". The boys played X-Box and got to see the Alvin movie. We did a little shopping, some relaxing, game-playing, and just plain relaxing! It was so much fun to hang out with cousins and family. The best part...not having to wear a coat to go outside! The weather was beautiful, and that allowed the kids to play at the park. It was very nice! Thanks to mom for a great time!
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