christmas at the horton home!

Merry Christmas! Santa definitely came to our house yesterday! we were blessed with lots of presents to open and we had such a great morning opening them together as a family by the tree! and we also never left our pj's (that's one of the best parts!) we had the best morning together... my parents never fail at making us the happiest kids in the world! reactions to the gifts are always the best part :)

traditions were the same this year of course! and we opened exchange presents + white elephant presents Christmas eve. us kids also all slept in the playroom together that night in our new pj's! and Christmas morning we woke up mom + dad and headed out all together to see what Santa left us! we also looked in our stockings, then we took a break for some breakfast... (mom's homemade orange rolls! nothing better.) after eating we opened the presents from mom + dad!

after opening lots of presents we also gave our parents the present we got them. we usually do one BIG present for the both of them. (3 years ago, a collage frame // 2 years ago, Brian Regan tickets // last year, a new "room") and this year we surprised them with 5 new HUGE family pictures for our family room... something they have been wanting for a long time! i think their reaction made it all worth it :)

^^^ priceless!^^^

and definitely one of the ABSOLUTE BEST parts of the day, was the phone call i had been waiting for all morning! at around noon, Tyler's mom Jeselyn called me down for Tyler's facetime! we all sat around the iPad and got to talk to Tyler for a few hours! and i was fortunate enough to be able to talk to him for wayyyy longer than i ever expected. (seriously... best thing.) 

talking to Tyler was the best Christmas present ever. i sure miss my handsome elder, but hearing his Testimony made it all worth it. i love him lots.

^^^ my love! he's alive!^^^

the family also sat down during the day and watched the Nativity, remembering the true meaning of Christmas :: Christ's birth. remembering that even though we love to open presents and give presents away, the real reason we celebrate this day is because of the birth of our Savior. 

such a good Christmas! i hope yours was amazing as well! happy happy thursday!