New phase for Christmas

We entered a new realm this year for Christmas. We were able to put presents under the tree days before opening them. For years actually all but the first year we were married we have had children that would open the presents thus we didn't put them out until the night of Christmas Eve or really close to then. This year Andrea is a big lady and left the presents alone. That made me sad and happy. One more sign our family is getting older. There was no seminary on the last day of school so the older kids wrapped presents. They have been so busy wrangling cows and barb wire fences this was a nice reprieve. 

I picked the kids up from school so they could go get some vaccinations. Livy was excited to show the prize she received from a classmate in the gift exchange. I flopped on that requirement. While the kids did take presents to exchange they were not exciting. Oh well. Gift-giving is not my love language and a big stretch but we got it all taken care of. 

We also spent time at the farm taking care of animals throughout the break. This is a nice day we were just feeding the animals. A few days later after a lot of rain we loaded many out and sold them. That was a mess but we worked together and got it done. 

 Livy and Lia have enjoyed having Anna here to snuggle and pay attention to them. She helps them with their natural curls and teaches them how to care for their wild unique hair. As Anna has spent more time with us she has found her place again as the oldest. That's a hard spot to navigate as life changes and everyone grows in independence and maturity. I'm very thankful for all the time of this Christmas break. Two full weeks allowed for us to catch-up, dig-in, relax, and get it done. Life is good with all these special people. I am blessed.