Merry K.I.S.S.Mas

This year for Christmas my unofficial motto was K.I.S.S.-Keep It Simple Stupid. Call it the Scrooge factor, call it laziness, call it lack of ideas for gifts, but Santa was the only one that brought gifts for our kids this year: one toy (albeit a bit bigger than normal) and one movie. Of course, we had other gifts under the tree from the grandparents. But actually it was pretty nice; less really was more.

Our Christmas Eve traditions for the last few years have included doing luminaires at my parents' house, a tradition we started at our own house this year. My parents usually put salt pellets in the bottom of the paper bag, but we just put snow in, which did rather well. My boys are so spazzy:


And thus:


Brock was being very efficient:


And Troy couldn't get enough of the lit candles:


We did luminaires at my parents' house this year as well, but of course my camera died for that portion of the night.

And the kids, Christmas morning, with their loot:

Brock was sooo thrilled to get his picture taken on their new trampoline that takes up the entirety of our basement. (It will be going outside come spring. So, like, in June.)


Ivy, with her new phone cord. She loves the thing.


Jakob with his new Iron Man DVD.


Troy on his new bike.


Brock with his Wall-E toy. It plays music and dances around.


Pete asked me when we were going to start having the kids give gifts to each other. But after reading this post, I'm kind of thinking I may have the kids give immaterial gifts to each other-like services or something. Just to keep it simple, and to help remember what Christmas is about in the first place.

Anyway, I know it's a bit late, but I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.