The final part in the Christmas REWIND saga was my side of the family's get together on December 28th. Annie so graciously took pictures for me and she was so quick in getting them sent to me too. So here you go. We had perfect traveling weather this year which Annie and Matt enjoyed since the past two years there's been snow storms and coming from Fargo, it isn't a pretty drive. Last year, I believe, they got stuck in Watertown SD on there way back due to I29 closing. Not this year though...no snow on the ground! The kids had alot of fun playing with their cousins. Grandma came over and was probably over stimulated! Baby Jack got handed off from one set of loving arms to the next. (mine were his favorite though) We had some good food, alot of fruit snacks and suckers and many half-full juice boxes sitting around. In the evening, after presents & food, the kids settled in watching a movie-well my kids did. Mya and Ally like their parents alot and Owen went to bed. The adults played a new game-The Logo game. It was pretty fun. We ended up leaving close to 11pm and didn't get back to St. Peter til 12:30am. Good thing we had nothing planned in the morning-just sleeping in. 
Caitlin and Emily sang at the Christmas Eve mass so we all went to the 4pm service. It was different, but nice. We usually go Christmas morning and sometimes the 9pm service. The 4pm mass is always very well attended and it was packed! The girls sang beautifully and we for the most part very well behaved. After mass we headed home for an Christmas Eve formal dinner with the china and sparkling wine. After dinner we opened presents. It was a nice quiet? evening.
Christmas morning, Caitlin and Emily were the first ones up-7:00am. Not too bad. Rachel was up about 20 minutes later and then they finally got us up about 7:50. It was funny to listen to Caitlin and Emily whispering about what they think was in their stockings and what was under the tree for them. They never pick anything up or shake it, just sit and wonder. Very cute. Our house puked up Lego's Christmas morning. Everyone got a set and everyone was very excited to start building! Natalie didn't get Lego's but she did get a few puzzles she was very excited about. She's a puzzle freak! After playing a bit it was time to get ready for "over the river and through the woods to Gma's house we go!" Salfer family Christmas!!! COUSINS!!!!
We love going to see all the Salfer's. Its never quiet, the food is always good and the kids are never sitting around bored. This year for some strange reason or another, the older grandkids served the dessert, cleared the tables and did the dishes!! Their present to Grandma perhaps?! It was very nice of them. After present opening, we played games, visited and watched Elf on TV. We didn't get home until 10:30pm. Very fun and exhausting day.
Isaac and Emily (7mo apart)
Uncle Mike? Is that you under all those bows?
Caitlin, Emily, Natalie and I were baking queens right before Christmas. We made 4 kinds of cookies, granola, and English Muffin bread (which didn't turn out). Rachel had woke up that morning not feeling well so she laid on the couch in the other room while we were hard at work. By noon she was up wondering when she could help. After rest in the afternoon she did help with a batch. The girls are really getting good at this cookie thing and while I was getting them ingredients and cleaning up their work spaces they were mixing and rolling and Natalie helped a lot by taking wrappers off the kisses. She only ate a few is what I was told!
After Christmas cookies we made star ornaments. Hot glue, regular glue, sequins and jewels. They turned out pretty cute!
That evening our friends the Yost's came for pizza. Lydia is our god daughter and she got to open up a present and she made us a pretty ornament.
Natalie (2) Emily (8) Dominic (1 mo) Lydia (3) Rachel (6) Eli (almost 2) Caitlin (old)
