Lovely Holiday!

This Christmas has been awesome! We spent it with my brothers and sisters in Salt Lake city and had a grand old time! Having all our kids together was fantastic. Kaitlynn loved it too. This picture is showing what Simon does best....wind kids up to wind them down. Ha. He was doing the music man song and they absolutely LOVED it!!!! What better way to get kids tired on Christmas Eve than dance around doing silly songs. :) Simon really enjoyed it, and I am sure it may become a tradition when it is the Maughan year for Christmas. :)

Kaitlynn, as I said, LOVES being around all her cousins....especially Jae, Leah's little boy. They are about a year apart and just love being with each other! Two peas in a pod. Simon got this picture and it just cracked me up, being mischeivous I am sure at the top of the stairs near the bathroom. I am sure it will only get worse as they get older. :)
And here is a picture of me with Kaitlynn, my not so little girl anymore, and Elizabeth, my brother Ben's oldest. She also loves Kaitlynn and only wants to play with her when we get together. It really has been so good to see the family this weekend. Especially considering my brother only just got Christmas day off since he is one of the newest resident doctors at the hospital. :)
Christmas morning was a BIG shock for Kaitlynn. She loves being around kids, but when it gets crazy and noisy she doesn't know what to do. Even at church in the nursery, she backs off completely when it gets too crazy. This is her shocked look while all the kids are yelling and full of excitment opening their presents. She, on the other hand, refused to even open hers, whereas last year she loved it. Uncle Jesse had to open them for her, and she didn't even get interested in the presents until later in the afternoon when all the kids had calmed down. LOL What a funny girl. I think she has been around too many adults. It will be a good thing when the newest McCarthy comes along. :)
And, as part of our family traditions, I decided to make us matching pajamas....I have been teaching myself how to sew...so this was kind of fun for me. I didn't get Kaitlynn's top done or the hoodies that I was going to make, but it was fun having the pajamas. Simon of course got green ones, it would have been silly for the man of the house to be parading in pink turtle flannel pj's!. LOL mine of course match Kaitlynn's.

And on Christmas day we all met up at Temple Square to see the amazing lights that they display every year. Of course Kaitlynn loved it. All season long when we pass a house with Christmas lights she gets really excited and points them out. So, this was just amazing for her, and Simon loved sharing the moment with her. :) He is such a good dad and takes every care to be involved in what this little girl LOVES. ;)
This is a picture Simon caught, the nativity that was placed on the reflection pool on Temple Square. I thought it was gorgeous, especially with the floating lights. This image is what I think Christmas really is. :)
Me being artsy fartsy capturing the lights. I love how they twinkle. :0) Christmas is so fun!!!

And another of the temple with the fountain and some lights in front. It was just a beautiful night and I am really glad I captured a few serene moments.

These next few pictures are just without explanation. But I have to explain anyway. Kaitlynn absolutely loves her cousin Elise, and these I caught while Elise was just being super silly with her, and Kaitlynn, being the happy girl that she is was just laughing histerically about Elise throwing herself around on the floor. Lately, my little girl has been getting really into laughing (not that she never was into laughing). But, most recently she throws her head back and does the funniest laugh I have ever heard. These too are also the best part of Christmas (as well as the other family pics). Family is so important and I am forever grateful for the family that I have. (my own little clan and my siblings and parents...what a blessing they are to me). I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I sure did!