Guess who came to our house?!?

A VERY happy little girl!

Even Tegan got in on the action!

Faith tearing into the presents

Hailee was the first one up and she was SO excited!!!

The loot "untouched".


Well after days, weeks and months of waiting . . . Santa FINALLY arrived at the Smith home! On more than one occassion the girls have been warned that Santa doesn't visit homes where children have been naughty. So, on Christmas Eve in their last attempt to secure that Santa would indeed show up at our house they were on the BEST behavior. At one point they had a little spat and Hailee came up to Aaron and I and said "I know sometimes I'm sassy but even when I'm bad I still really love you and I just want you to know that." Too cute!

All Christmas Eve I was in the kitchen baking goodies (as usual). The girls help me decorate cookies for Santa. After a very long day the girls had their tubby and Aaron read them The night before Christmas as we do every year on Christmas Eve. Hailee decdied that this year Santa would prefer egg nog so we set out the cookies, egg nog and of course carrots for the reindeer. By 8pm the girls were sung in their beds and fast asleep.

It was a pretty stormy night but around midnight I heard the clatter of reindeer hoofs and someone stumbling around in our living room. I didn't wake Aaron or the girls but I think I even heard a little burp after Santa chugged down the egg nog! :o)

Tegan was the first one awake on Christmas morning. Shocking because I thought for SURE Hailee would be waking us up at the crack of dawn. All the girls actually slept in . . . Tegan was up at 7:30. Hailee was up soon after and was FULL of excitement when she saw that Santa had not skipped our house this year! I think every year Hailee is more excited with the fact that the cookies, milk and carrots are gone than the fact the tree is loaded with gifts!

After I was able to get Tegan fed, cinnamon rolls in the oven and coffee brewed we let the girls tear into their gifts. Santa was very generous this year and the girls were showered with gifts. Games, books, jamies, slippers, scarfs, hats, baby dolls, barbies, pony's and everything in between (it seems!). Aaron scored a new pair of workboots, a cordless wrench set, pocket knife and a personalized book of our vacation in Tahoe. I must say I did pretty well too. I got another house for my collection with some new figuienes and a new kitchen sink! Some of you know that I kind of obsess over single bowl, white, apron front sinks - I've wanted one for 5 years and I've FINALLY got one! It would have really come in handy when the girls were getting bathed in the kitchen sink but oh well. Now you must know that with this sink it means that my kitchen HAS to be completed soon. That means new countertops, painted cabinets, new hardware and my sink INSTALLED! WHOO HOO! :o)

We hope that Santa treated all of you great this year and we wish you a safe and happy New Year!