The Kato Clan: Christmas 2007 has come and gone...

It is hard to believe that 2007 has come and gone. I always thought it was really old people that proclaimed that years went by so fast, and not to be sad that Christmas was over because before you know it, the next Christmas season would be upon us. Yeah Right! Charting the time between Christmases to a young child is like counting the distance between the earth and the moon, starting at one. It takes a REALLY long time. Until you get old. And I must be numbered with the old now...because really it does seem like we JUST had Christmas. This is our second year we were able to spend together in our house. It is so exciting to wake up in your own house and have the kids know that Santa visited their very own house. We love being with family too, and it is always fun to travel, but sadly there seems to be to many of us to make that very easy (or cheap) anymore. So we spent a nice few days together with our own Christmas traditions. On Christmas eve we went to dinner at McDonald's (I know what some of you are thinking...and just know that this is a tradition that comes from Jeremy's side of the family...my family would have gone for Chinese, so we seem to rotate. Last year was Chinese, this year Mcdonalds.) After our Christmas eve dinner we drove around to look at lights. We thought about finding a light tour that was rumored to be around, but ended up heading back instead. We were with Oregon Grandpa and Grandma so we did have some family to spend it with. After we dropped them off we found a house that does a free little 'listen to the lights' show. It was so cool! They had some pretty cool lights all timed to the music: O Holy Night, Carol of the Bells, Feliz Navidad and something else I didn't know right off. They were broadcasting on an unused FM frequency so there was a line up of cars watching the show. The kids loved it and said we should do it every year. And I think we will. After we got home the kids put out the reindeer food, cookies, and milk and waited for the big man. I think this year was great because they were so excited for Santa to come and they totally got the concept, BUT they didn't wake up at the crack of dawn. We got up at a respectable 7:30 AM. Audri was funny though because even though she was excited about Santa coming she was also afraid she might see him. When we put her to bed she made me shut her door so 'Santa can't come in and say 'Ho Ho Ho' to me' and then Brayden had to practically beg her to go downstairs with him it was funny to hear her say in a very loud whisper 'No Brayden! We have to ask Mom and Dad!' as if that ever stopped her before :) We had fun opening presents and the kids seemed to like all of their stuff-and boy did they get a lot of it! Jeremy and I decided that toys would be SO much cheaper if there were less industrial strength twisty ties and tape involved in the packaging process...I mean really is it necessary? We were spoiled by all of our family, and we say a big heartfelt THANKS to everyone!