The Ranch Files: Christmas Day

Sophie, Zadie, and Izzy showing off their Christmas presents (they also got the matching polka dot outfits).

As part of a Christmas Eve tradition that we've taken over from Tori's family, all the kids get to open one present on Christmas Eve and it's always pajamas.  How cute are these five kids in their matching outfits?

My mom has a knack for making every occasion very special, so of course she wasn't going to let having Christmas at the ranch thousands of miles away from home, with limited provisions, stop her.  Christmas morning she had the kids' stockings all laid out and everything wrapped neatly in tissue paper with names on everything.  I did not inherit my mother's ability to present things beautifully and personally, but I'm certainly a beneficiary.

This Christmas, I think the very favorite gift was the cameras that the three girls received from Santa (my parents).  The girls felt very important photographing their experience and I love the photo above with them showing off their new gifts.  My mom also bought some fun musical instruments in the stockings for the kids.  And each adult couple received a new iPad, so that was very exciting but I'm also a little embarrassed to write that because I feel so spoiled by my parents.  I guess it's better to know you're spoiled, right?

Tori and I aren't real big on giving our kids lots of presents.  We gave Skip and Zadie their own water bottle to put in their lunch for pre-school and also some arts and crafts to work on while they were at the ranch.  Charlie, you didn't get diddly-squat from us, but you didn't seem to mind much!