December 25, 2015 at 12:25PM

The rule in our house has always been that you cannot wake anybody else up until the sun has risen on Christmas Day (about 7:45). It was something they could determine even when they were very young. The kids get some snacks and a book at the end of their bed to keep themselves entertained. This year they each got some chips and a couple of Kashi granola bars and a novel (The Selection, Geek Girl, and Mr. Poppins Penguins). The girls all woke up between 7 and 7:30 and hung out together reading. Then, bless their hearts, they let us sleep until Michael's alarm went off at 9!!! We had a fantastic morning and spent 2 hours eating breakfast and opening stockings and gifts. Now we're just sitting back and enjoying our gifts. Kate got a bunjo chair for her room (which all 3 of them LOVE -- a folding circle shaped chair with the seating area made of bungee cords) and the Twilight Forever collection. Lizzie got Snap Circuits (she's in heaven!) and a little glockenspiel and will get to have her ears pierced finally. Sabrina got her greatest wish -- a camera of her very own (yay for Black Friday deals on a Nikon Coolpix!) and a beautiful wooden recorder (she started learning to play the soprano recorder several months ago and loves it). Michael got a new wallet and money clip, a leather steering wheel wrap for his car, a couple of new ties, and his favorite -- a set of whiskey chillers, lol. (Stones you freeze then put in your drink in place of ice cubes so it keeps it cold without diluting your drink when they melt). I got tons of PURPLE! (My favorite color). A little teddy bear, hand warmers, my pashmina, chopsticks, a hair wrap (which they now say looks totally gangsta -- and yeah, it does). It was a great morning with lots of thought in each gift and a wonderful feeling of bringing us all closer together though the gifts chosen. Now we're going to go down and curl up in front of Twilight (cause we love our daughter, even if not the movies) with some Christmas goodies and enjoy the snow falling outside! Oh, and the cherry on top? The girls went to bed at a reasonable hour and I had things well enough prepared this year that even Santa was in bed by just after 11:00 last night!!! I think that's a new record for me! Merry Christmas, everybody! I hope that however you celebrate today, your time together and your gifts given and received will help you feel the love and closeness of family. <3 via Facebook