12/24-25/2010 Christmas

     I love traditions!  And our family is full of Christmas traditions.  On Christmas Eve afternoon, the people that want to get together with some neighbors and rake leaves around Central.  This year there were 4 women and 4 kids, and I must say, we did an awesome job considering!!  It may not have been a record for most leaves raked but I was impressed by how good the kids worked.  The men were helping Dad up in the hills.  By the time they made it to us, we were ready to move to the last house.  The Rhino wouldn't start so we left them to fix it.  When we hadn't heard from them, we called and they said, "Well, it looks like the radiator differential is out.  We might be a while."  (laughing in the background)  Apparently,  there is no such thing as a radiator differential.  Well, I guess that's what we asked for when we left them with the Rhino.  We left the trailer with leaves for them to empty so they could share in our service.   haha, its always a good experience raking leaves.
    Next, was dinner.  We have bean flautas every year...yum.   After dinner, we had a special visitor show up.  I think our family must be pretty special, because Santa- who looks an awful lot like my Uncle Dennis- comes to visit us and let us sit on his lap Christmas Eve and then he comes back later to give us our presents.   Briggs still wasn't sure about the big guy in red. 

Lincoln on the other hand, is pretty tight with the old man.

     After Santa left, we continued on with the festivities.  We did the nativity while my dad read from the Bible.  Then we enjoyed hot apple cider and gingerbread cake and lemon sauce. 

The Shepherds:  Brigham and Blake

The only picture I got of the wise men:  Lincoln standing up, Derek and Guy sitting on the couch.

 Guy and I wanted to experience Christmas morning with our Nolan family since we haven't yet.  So packed all our gifts and drove to Willcox.  We arrived around 11 that night and helped Santa put the finishing touches on the front room.  In the morning, the Nolan tradition is to get ready for the day and then line up in the hall and take a picture.  Then we move to the family room and open presents. 

Back: Andrew, Papa, Jonathan, Joshua.  Front:  Stefani, Guy, Brigham, Porter, Sarah

After presents, we all helped make gnockies (i have absolutely no idea how to spell it).  Its an Italian dish- pasta with spaghetti sauce and meat- that Guy's Grandma Nolan taught Mother how to make when she was alive.   

Jonathan, Guy, and Seth rolling cutting and poking the gnockies

In the evening, the family got together and had "The Apple of Love".  Its a really neat family story and tradition.  Guy was in charge of sharing the story and then we all ate sliced apples.  The story reminds us how important it is to forgive and love our family.  We then played a very competitive game of the Family Feud where we were able to apply the principles we had just learned.  It was a lot of fun. 

Briggs liked the trampoline for the most part..

Guy fell asleep on the couch watching a movie.  We had kicked his brothers out of their room, so sleeping on the couch, he was on their "bed".  In an attempt to wake him up, Andrew drew him a uni-brow with marker and he didn't even flinch.  I finally had to wake him up with my special touch.  Luckily, the marker came off pretty easy and we were all laughing.