Christmas Morning

I know it sounds kind of bad, but one thing my siblings and I look forward to each year is what the tree looks like on Christmas morning. How many presents are under it and how high they are stacked. I think most of us are over the "what we are getting and how many" stage and are now onto the "how much are we giving, I can't wait to see if they like it" stage. We also wrap EVERYTHING and usually in bigger boxes than are needed just to make it look like more. This year though I think was my last year thinking like that. My first thought when I saw the tree was "This is way to much, even for 10 people." Pretty intense, huh?

I do have to say that out of everything stockings are my favorite part of Christmas. I look forward to opening my stocking more than my gifts under the tree. Santa treats me VERY well. I got flowers (for my hair,) jewelry, dvds, cds, gift cards and fuzzy socks... and hardly any candy, which I was happy about. It never gets eaten.
Since Christmas fell on a Sunday this year we all woke up and went to church. It LOVED going to church in the morning. It was so wonderful to feel the true spirit of Christmas prior to doing the whole commercial side of christmas. In church on Sunday I sang with the ward choir. It was fun to stand between my mom and sister and hear all of our voices blend together so well. I think when you are in the same family your vocal cords must be similar and made in such a way that they blend with the other member of your family? Maybe? At least in my family we do. I sang a duet with my sister. I sang the lyrics "On a star lit night, neath a sky so bright. The angles sing carols of love. Of a baby asleep in a manger bed, sent from heaven above. Sleep oh tiny precious one sleep Gods chosen son." While my sister sang the 1st verse of silent night. It was beautiful together the way it was arranged. It was also really cool to sing a duet with her. We have never been able to do that before. Shortly after our duet my dad gave the concluding talk. It was beautiful. He touched on all the major things I wanted to hear and be reminded of on Christmas. I was sitting on the stage and tears were steaming down my face. His words words beautiful, the spirit so strong and my whole family within feet from me. I don't know how many more Christmas' we'll be able to spend all together as we grow older and my siblings get married and have kids. But I hope we do it often because I have never been more happy than I was on Christmas day.

After church we all went home and took pictures in front of the tree. Usually we were in our PJ's but since we all were in church clothes and looking pretty we decided to take advantage of the situation and snap a few pictures. Don't worry though. We didn't stay in our church clothes for long. It was unanimous that we all must put back on our PJ's if we were going to open gifts.