Christmas 2010

Wow. It took three evenings devoted to selecting and uploading to bring you the slew of Christmas cheer before you now.

Today is the first day I've skipped a meal, not to mention skipped THREE consecutive meals, since 2004 (aka pre-preg/lactation days), so I daresy I am feeling more than a little too weary, cranky, and famished to properly caption all this fun.

Also, I have exactly seven blog entries saved in my draft folder awaiting elaboration, so witty commentary in this post will be notably lacking. Sorry to disappoint the vast quantities of my fans who bother reading the text. Thankfully, most of these photos prefer to speak for themselves.

With no further ado, it's Christmas 2010 aka THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!!!! (yes, I say that every year.)

Martha Stewart once again conned me into believing I could duplicate her designer kiddie snacks for our Joy School party. The sad thing is, I actually made these, not the kids.



My parents and unattached sibs were able to join us for Christmas at our place (We missed SKISLN and Joestie!). This was our first year since marriage having Christmas at our home. LOVED it. Traveling is always fun, too, but there is something sweet and magical (plus easier in many ways) about Christmas culminating where we've spent the whole season.

Here are the Goodwins in our natural states (check photo backgrounds).




The kids asked for Berenstein Bear books for Christmas and Grandma elf delivered early, having successfully excavated my childhood stash of literature from her garage. (!)

Ma & Pa were so very terribly wonderful to have around, for so many reasons. I love seeing them interact with my kiddos. EE&C have no idea how fortunate they are to have four excellent grandparents.

Mom and Dad took the kids on a special trip to the theater (their second time ever!) to see Tangled, with a natural follow-up at McD's. I still haven't seen Tangled-- can't wait 'til it hits the Dollar Theater. Hmmm, hope they have those outside of Utah Valley....









No such thing as Christmas without caroling and consuming Ma's candy cane bread without restraint.

Mish and Bryce insisted that caroling afflicts awkwardness on recipients in that the visits are unannounced and unwarranted. Have they even seen Elf? Who wouldn't love a good, spontaneous Christmas tune delivered to their doorstep. Anyone? It comes with free food and four-part harmony, so yeah. I don't get it.


And this is how we spent much of our quality time together as a family.



I'm pretty sure I am at LEAST as excited as the kids when a package from Gramps and Gran Larsen arrives. They have a 100% track record of being packed full of goodness.

How fortunate that the kids consented to make Santa's favorite type of cookie! Let's get real, though, this Santa's favorite foods in the world are, in order of preference, 1. every single type of homemade cookie, 2. everything else.














Jiminy! How did all those presents get there!? I swear I tried not to buy anything this year...

This is what all the slacker elves did while I played Santa.

Six hours of visions-of-sugar-plums later, CHRISTMAS MORNING! Charlie went straight for Santa's cookie remnants.

Ellie put in a request for Santa to bring her Puppy Surprise, which went out of stock in the, oh, mid '90s. Thankfully, a very crafty elf named myself pulled a few strings here and there and BAM! Kitty/polar bear surprise!

But they sort of look like dogs. Sort of.

Erik originally asked for Daddy Bean from Santa (what the...?) but later recanted and simply requested a surprise. Conveniently enough, I had picked up a surprise (in the form of Tinker Toys) at a garage sale months ago that I'd put on a shelf and forgotten to give the kids. So, it all worked out. He was most excited about his new toothbrush anyway.

Charlie was too modest to make a request, but Santa happened to know he didn't have and therefore should have a shape sorter/cup stacking duo.

Some other faves include...

a new (eco-friendly!) outfit for Emma,

coolest rocket ship ever,

Hungry Hungry Hippos,

and lots of other good stuff. Way too much good stuff actually. Too bad I used to judge parents for spoiling their kids. Turns out it's super easy and exceedingly enjoyable.

Here are the kids with their Christmas stocking spoils:





Erik played with his rocket ship for eight solid hours of Christmas. No hyperbole about it. Ellie and Charlie had to open his presents while he focused on the toy that mattered most.

So weird, but Santa went all healthy on us this year (while simultaneously gobbling the cookies we left him-- hypocrite!), garnishing our stockings not with Halloween candy, but rather with miniature apples, bananas, and oranges.

Yeah, a little overboard. How cute are those apples, though!?


Oh yeah, Bryce was there, too!

Kyle pretended to be surprised about the ukulele (my parents gave him) that I'd shabbily hidden in the garage. Yeah, I hid it under his jacket. Sometimes I just underestimate Kyle's seeking skills!


Mish will hate me for posting this picture, but I just love this expression. (Near) tears of joy over clothes. A sister understands.

Hmmmm, who took this? Wasn't me. Bryce likely wanted to document the hard work gone into growing his "beard."

He's at it agaaaain!!!


Yep, still at the rocket.

Mish waxed artistic over Dad's typical rags. This year's victim: unsuspecting slippers.


My favorite gift was a homemade tamper for my Blendtec, hand-crafted my Kylie-poo! The absence of tamper was my only complaint about the Blendtec (vs. Vitamix). Now it is perfection!

And you may think I'm blending dirty water down there, but no. Bryce's inaugural contribution to a family buffet came in the form of what he dubs "Fresh," a yummy limeade. So weird to see Bryce in the kitchen, though, if only for a beverage.




I think we were too tired to photograph it, but we did an international buffet for Christmas dinner, at Kyle's request. It sounded fun and exciting, and it would've been, if we hadn't had to make it ourselves. I think I'll order out pizza on Christmas from now on.

Anyway, Mish made polenta pancakes with avocado salsa, Mom made jiaozi or some Chinese dish, I think, Kyle whipped up his famous Thai curry, and I fried some bananas. Okay, that doesn't actually sound like such an impressive, time-consuming spread, but it was. And that's why it's pizza from now on.

Ellie whooped her uncles at Slamwich (a slap happy game like unto Egyptian Ratscrew), we exchanged jolly greetings with Skisln and Joestie via skype, and that was Christmas. Wonderful, tasty, sleepy, cozy, perfect Christmas. We really should have another Christmas every June, but just with the family fun, not presents.

Also, Kyle and I should really celebrate our Dec. 23 anniversary in June. What were we thinking? Sorry about that, everyone who got roped into pulling off that wedding.


Mish left before her birthday on the 29th, so for the first time (maybe ever?) she didn't have to share a birthday cake with Bob!




My birthday gift to Bob was homemade sushi. Bob is easy to please.




Mom's birthday came up on New Year's Day. Again, I gifted food. I saw her eying a sale on steak in the grocery ads. Poor carnivorous Ma had had enough of my veganish nonsense.

I also took the liberty of buying some fresh (read: NOT reduced) pastries in lieu of birthday cake. The way to Mom's heart is also through her stomach. Love that Ma.


Well, that's all I got. Let it be known, in case any doubts remain, that Christmas was the coolest! Loved that food, love that fam. Yup, as Becca says, forever sounds pretty good.