Shalae & Noah

Noah's preschool class put on "The Gingerbread Man" play. It was so cute! Noah was part of the "chorus" as he called it...

Noah & I took a drive through a decked-out neighborhood in Gilbert to see the Christmas lights - and Santa was sitting outside this cutest house with candy canes to give the kids. It was so cute.

I took Noah shopping at the dollar store and he got to pick out presents for his cousins and his dad. It was pretty funny. I think the funniest thing was when he picked out a flute recorder for his dad. I let him wrap the presents all by himself and he set up a little workshop to get all his gifts wrapped!

We had a "formal" progressive dinner with my family a few nights before Christmas. We started out at the Gibbons' house for appetizers. What an attractive family! I couldn't get over Roxy's outfit - so cute!

Here's the "kids' table" at the next stop - my parents' house. (Riggs & Jax have graduated to the adult table.)

Suzanne & my mom put together the main course and it was delicious!! Salad and breadsticks from Olive Garden + homemade soup. mmm!

We then went to my house for dessert then over to Alisse & Scott's for hot chocolate and a program. Alisse taught the kids "Silent Night" in sign language and they put on a little program for us.

BFF's

Cutest Brothers

Jaxen & Ellie at "the prom"

More BFF's

Christmas Eve was fun - first Noah sprinkled "reindeer food" outside so they would be sure to stop at our house.

Next, Noah got to open up one present. My plan was for him to have some cute pajamas to wear to bed so that our pictures the next morning would be cute... as you'll see in later pictures - not so much. (He took his pajamas off as soon as we woke up the next morning and put his basketball clothes on instead.)

Noah wrote Santa a letter, just to remind him one more time that he wanted a BIG BOY BIKE for Christmas.

He set out the letter with some of Santa's favorite kind of cookies.

The next morning... Noah found exactly what he wanted from Santa!

Uncle Scott is definately a keeper - he adjusted the seat and the training wheels for Noah, helped him get the hang of it, and let's just say he took on the role of one of Santa's elves this year. THANKS SCOTTY!

Noah was loving his bike. When we went back inside and started getting dressed in warmer clothes... he said "Mom, I'll be right back. I have to go downstairs and make sure my bike didn't tip over." He just had to get another look at it!

We headed over to my parents' house and found out that Ellie & Roxy also got bikes from Santa. It was fun for the 3 of them to ride together.

Also at my parents house, we all got to talk to our missionary Brad! Each person got their own turn and it was so good to hear his voice.

The best part of our conversations with Brad was when he was telling us how him and his companion wanted some "food american". He is starting to forget how to speak proper English!

Everyone was spoiled over at my parent's house. They are so generous and make Christmas so much fun for everyone. I just love being together on Christmas day and seeing the kids give a hug to someone after each present they open.

The stockings are a fun tradition... that's what we're doing in this picture.

This year we gave each other home-made gifts and I loved it. Each one was so meaningful and took time for each person to put together. I don't have a picture of that but I know my blogger sisters took some!

I also don't have a picture to document the rest of my Christmas day, but it was perfect! Dinner + a movie + a card game with {a really cool person} = a great ending to a fun Christmas day!

Thanks to everyone who made this Christmas so special for Noah & I. I am so thankful for this time of year and for our Savior Jesus Christ. Remembering His birth and His life is what makes this time of year so special. One of my favorite traditions of Christmas is singing the hymns at church because it helps me remember the true meaning of what Christmas is all about.

Consider this post a Christmas card from me & Noah! I love so many pictures that I couldn't pick just one - so this would be a giant Christmas card.

My sister Alisse is an awesome photographer ... and I think I have the cutest kid in the world so with those 2 factors I have been loving these pictures of Noah at 4 years old.

This first one is my very favortie because I LOVE kissing Noah. I swear, I cannot pick him up without kissing his cheeks. Every night before turning off the light he lets me kiss his cheeks without pushing me away. Sometimes he says "Mom, you can kiss me twenty thousand million hundred times."

(That was much quicker & easier than gathering addresses but I still LOVE getting Christmas cards in the mail so thanks to all of you that have sent one to us!)