On the 5th day of Christmas: Christmas!

Christmas Eve at the Fulbright house was quite lovely. We spent the day lounging about and playing games and cooking the Christmas Eve feast.


I really liked the candle my mom had this year. It was a Christmas tree made out of what looked like real gum drops. But it was a candle! So cool.

After the feast we were all so stuffed we couldn't move, so it was downstairs to complete the yearly ritual of watching "It's a Wonderful Life." Great movie.

We were all ready for Santa to come, so once the movie was over, we tucked ourselves into our beds and tried very hard to go to sleep. Pretty soon it was 7am, the decided hour of awakening--much later than previous years. We gathered downstairs in our usual pre-present huddle, waiting for everyone to wake up and be ready. Here are the kids and Mom. Ashton is passed out and Mom looks like she's gonna vomit, but they're excited all the same!

And here's Tyler and me, in all of our early morning glory. Thank you for the picture, Dad. Thanks a lot.

As soon as we got upstairs Josh was ready to start tearing into his presents. Here he is opening his Scooby-Doo cartoon from Grandma.

And since Ashton loves to crumple, rip, eat, and destroy anything paper, he really liked opening the presents. Here he is helping me eat/open one of mine.

This is the shirt that Philip and Brandi gave to Dad for Christmas. He likes it a lot.

Here is Ashton opening one of his own presents--Tickle Me Elmo. I think he likes it.

Nicholas, showing off the real shark tooth Sarah brought him back from Hawaii.

Thanks to Tyler and I, Philip was made a real Cougar fan this year!

Josh, eating his granola bar and waiting patiently for his next turn.

Lexi, and her new purse from Brandi.


Sarah, getting a little beauty rest with Brandi's gift.


Brandi and I, modeling our gifts from Sarah.

Brandi would make a good hula girl, don't you think?

Can you guess what Nicholas's favorite present was? His nerf gun from Santa!

Teaching Josh the art of the nerf gun. I'm a little bit scared...

Modeling the bib that came in his stocking.

Overall, I'd say Christmas was a hit!

A hit that left us all exhausted! People were passed out all over the house all day long.

Merry Christmas everyone!