Christmas 2013

Christmas felt so different this year! I'm not sure if it's because we weren't in our own place and I didn't put up any of my own decorations, or if it was just a weird year, but it came and went so quickly, I almost missed it! On Christmas Eve, Matt went to work. Yes, he is the most exciting person that I know. After work, we went down to Salt Lake for our traditional Fischer Christmas. As we do every year, we went bowling. This year, Harrison and Reagan were old enough to bowl with us, so the kids all bowled on one lane and the adults bowled on another. Tim and Kamie didn't bowl because it basically takes two adults to keep Reagan occupied when it isn't her turn. Not to mention that Kamie is getting soooo close to bringing baby girl #2 to the world that she gets a free pass! Harrison liked to bowl, but liked sitting on this table and watching the rest of the bowlers just as much. He would take his turn and then sit up on the table and wait. It was so cute!

Cute baby Kailee... soon to be big sister! I can't wait to have another nephew!

After bowling, we went back to Diet and Myrna's house for dinner and presents! After opening a lot of presents, and the ensuing chaos, we couldn't find Harrison anywhere. We peeked into the playroom, and he was in there watching a movie with his eyes just glued to the TV. Of course, he caught me when I tried to take a picture and this is his "I'm caught!" face!

Brad and Claire are at such fun ages right now... it was fun to buy them things that they would love this year. And I think even more fun to see them snuggled up in their Christmas jammies looking at presents together!

After the Christmas eve fun, Matt and I headed out to my mom and Jeff's to sleep. We had Christmas morning at my mom's house. This is really different from Christmas eve with the Fischers. Much... quieter. And calmer. We even had to wait to open presents because Cassie was still sleeping. Matt was definitely spoiled this year. Can you tell my family knows exactly what he likes? Three Cabelas gift cards that he can't wait to spend!

Alex's gift card included this nice note!

After presents, we started making breakfast. Alex's bald spot was shining so brightly, I had to take a picture! She recently had a run-in with a drawer... clearly the drawer won!

Cassie cooking sausage and bacon!

Traditional Christmas breakfast with my mom includes our family favorite, Swedish pancakes. They are like crepes, but thicker. And we have to eat on fancy Christmas dishes too.

After breakfast, we hurried and got dressed for more Christmas at my dad and Laurie's house. We have seven nieces and nephews in the Hightower family, with one more coming in June, and Matt and I decided to buy presents for them all this year (so much more fun to buy gifts for kids than for adults!). I found the cutest Minnie and Mickey knitted beanies on Etsy this year, and had to get them for all the kids. Our youngest Hightower niece, Avery, LOVES Minnie Mouse and was so excited! She kept saying, "Minnie! Look at my hairbow!" It was soooooo worth it.

Trevor and Sadie Hightower...

Hopefully the Hightower kids will remember that Aunt Tori and Uncle Matt buy them presents and won't be so scared of us! Matt got a sweet surprise for Christmas from my dad... a box full of one dollar bills! He has been saving up to buy a gun and finally has enough money to do it! He said he REALLY wanted to throw them all up in the air and watch them float down, but couldn't bring himself to actually do it! My dad and Laurie had breakfast and it was fun to be around while all the Hightowers came and went. That is a big family and is hard to get everyone together, so it was fun to hang out and see almost everyone.

After "brunch" (for lack of a better word), we headed out to the District to see a movie with my mom, Jeff, Jeff's mom Ruth, my sisters, and Grandma and Papa Decker. We saw "Saving Mr. Banks" and I really liked it! After the movie, Matt leans over to me and says, "That was the worst movie I've ever seen! I literally fell asleep!" He claims that he will not see movies with my mom anymore, because she also took him to another movie that he hated, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Hopefully next Christmas there will be a better movie out that we can see.

After the movie, Matt and I headed home for some much needed quiet time. Only when we got home, the kids' Christmas presents were everywhere! The adults were sprawled all around the room just watching the chaos, too tired to do anything else. What a great day!