Christmas

John Muir Health (Jeff's employer) had a kid party this year, complete with a most excellent Santa Claus.

How perfect is this picture of Santa and Jr.?!?:

Our family got invited, through Grandma Joan, to go caroling through the streets of San Francisco on a privately-rented, holiday decorated Cable Car. Fun!! We determined that just Jeff would go with Ethan and Ben (too late of a night for the 2 youngest). Unfortunately, Ben had a mega-meltdown at his music therapy session just before departure time and this mom told him no way would he be able to go on the cable car after such bad behavior. Poor Ben :( But, Jeff and Ethan had a FABULOUS time with Grandma, the Hiatts, Alan and boys and Grandma's friends the Packers. This could become a VERY fun Christmas season tradition:

On Christmas Eve Eve (the 23rd), the Sorensen clan gathered at Grandma Joan's house for our annual gift exchange, food and festivities. Livvy kept us all entertained during the gift exchange (she's good at that!)

Ethan and Ben got right to work assembling the new Lego Atlantis game:

Then we went on to building gingerbread houses. Some kids are so precise and some so creative. Some are messy and some don't want anything to do with the project at all. We have all sorts in the Sorensen bunch. It is such fun!


Wait, Drew, is that a smile I see?!?

We hosted a family Christmas Eve at our house. Jeff's parents (Granny and Papa) and Grandmother (GG) came, as well as my mom and my sister's family. We ate yummy food, of course, and acted out the Nativity.

Here's GG feeding her great-grandson, Blake.

Our Nativity scene - cast list: Mary (Eliza), Joseph (Sophie), Baby Jesus (Blake), Donkey (Jason), Shepherd (Ethan), Sheep (Jeff), Wise men (Livvy and Grandma), Angel (Maddie)

I'm just wondering what the Donkey was doing??

Here the girls are out front sprinkling reindeer food on the walkway and feeding our resident reindeer (and themselves?)

Christmas Eve - I didn't buy new pajamas for the kids because they didn't really need them (I know, kind of bah humbug, but I just hate spending money just for the sake of tradition). Eliza, of course, noticed, and chose the option of wearing some of Ben's jammies. Here are the matching cuties on Christmas Eve ... just a little excited for the morning:

And finally it's Christmas morning! More legos, of course

An amazing, entertaining box (oh, I mean toy that was inside the box but quickly got played with and then cast aside for a much more interesting box)