Christmas Eve 2014

We tried to add one more activity to our usual Christmas Eve festivities: we walked along Canyon Rd downtown where they had set up hundreds of farolitos (the little lanterns sometimes called luminaries). We had exhausted our visitors, so it was just our family and we didn't make it very far because of how cold it was, and the pictures were not that great. But we all thought it was worth the effort and will probably do it again.

It really was cool to see all the lanterns lining the street.

Everyone was really cold and even though they had little fires set up to warm your hands, we still only lasted about 15 minutes.

 When we got home, we did our traditional Christmas Eve activities. We started out with the nativity:

Then we all got new pajamas and changed into them! We all looked pretty darn good, I think.

Could you fit any more crazies on one couch?

The ladies.

No, Andres does not like to take pictures with a normal face.

Sister Dexter comes home!

We were the luckiest in the world and got to have Sister Taylor Dexter come home from her mission right before Christmas and join in the festivities in Santa Fe!
I was particularly excited because I've never been to anyone coming home before. I missed all the others by either being on my mission, at school or just several states away. So I was super excited at the airport and because of that, I just kept taking pictures and didn't get IN any of them. Oh, well. I was just excited to welcome home a missionary. And not just any missionary! Sister Taylor Dexter from Moscow, Russia! We made some signs in Russian and welcomed her home in style!

Ward Christmas Party (With Santa!)

Andres had quite a list for Santa. Most of it involved Legos of different varieties. He also chose his outfit all on his own. He was very insistent on the bow tie which has skulls with Santa hats on it (we found it on clearance somewhere and he now wants to wear it every Sunday too). 

Dexter was much more hesitant about sitting on Santa's lap. He did tell him from a distance that he wanted a fire truck.

Addie is at the wonderful age where she didn't want us to hear what she asked Santa for. Fantastic.

We had a great time. It was a bit funny, though, that the one kid who was terrified of Santa also recognized him at church the next week and seemed excited (maybe it was the outfit and the beard that freaked him out?).