3:25 A.M.

So our children came running in our rooms full of excitement. I thought it must be kind of early, as I felt I hadn't gotten enough sleep. As I roll out of bed and look at the clock I realize it is 3:25 A.M. Then I realize I have two options....

#1 Send the kids back to bed until like 6:00 or something so Justin and I can get more sleep.

OR

#2 Join in with their excitement and get up to open presents.

I opted for #2 and the Christmas fun begins at 3:25 at our house. I didn't regret getting up this early! There will be a day soon enough that I don't have little excited feet at my house on Christmas morning.....I am not looking forward to that day, so I just enjoyed it even at 3:25 A.M.!

The kids had asked Santa for money to help with the finishing of the play house. So they were excited to open this box......Sure enough Santa gave us some money and some new play food sets for the play house as well!

Hunter & Justin's "To Amuse" gift was the red remote control truck.

Logan & my "To Amuse" gift was the blue remote control truck.

When we told the boys that these could go 55 mph they were ecstatic..........so was Justin I believe!

Kiersten has wanted a rip stick for over a year now..........so when she opened up her "To Amuse" gift she was in heaven. This is the beginning of her Christmas story............but that's another post! I did say when she opened it that it probably comes with a broken arm...........I was just kidding!

Logan's "To Use" gift was a set of kid friendly wood projects and tools.

He was excited to build!

Santa brought Mr. Grant a tube of gum balls as tall as he is! I think that might have been all Mr. Grant needed...........he LOVES gum!

Mr. Grant's "To Cherish" gift was this awesome tool table set. I can't believe with all my boys I have never bought one of these things. Wendy Shupe said Mr. Grant plays with Ryker's all the time at her house so I thought it would be good.

He has loved it!

He kept saying, "I got a toy, I got a toy!"

One of Kiersten's favorite gift's was this tiny, tiny knitted owl that was in her stocking. We all agree it is so small and the workmanship so detailed that it must have been made by an Elf...........we're thinking Peppp made it himself!

This will be a favorite among her Little Things Collection!

Santa did give the older three kids each a pogo stick........they were so excited. Kiersten only took like 3 minutes and she could pogo away!

Justin was hard this year.........he wouldn't give me permission to get him anything. I asked about getting something for his quad, for his truck, a gun...........his answer was always, "Honestly Becky, all I want is You!" As flattering and sweet as that was I still felt like he deserved something more then that. I would tell him, "You already have me and you get me for like forever, so think of something else I can get you that you'll like." He just insisted that I was all he wanted!

Well Ever since Hunter's Lego Birthday party when I made the invitations out of large Lego's I knew I needed at some point to do something using these large Lego's for Justin. When I was making Hunter's invites Justin asked me what I was doing. When I showed him and I asked him what he thought, he excitedly said, "These are awesome, I want one!" I said, "You mean when you were a kid you would have liked one?" He said, "No I would like something like this NOW! I think it's pretty cool to be honest!"

So I knew at some point I would be using that same idea for Justin, just didn't realize it would be as a Christmas gift!

The paper says, "Some Assembly Required"

I build a large tower out of large Lego's, wrote my message on it and then disassembled it and put it in a box and wrapped it up.

Hunter, the Lego King around here, helped Justin with his Lego project. Hunter excitedly said I know what moms surprise is! And he held up two Lego's that read, "I have baby- BABE!" Hunter said, "You are having a baby!"

I immediately said, okay I yelled, "NO!"

We all laughed..........those two Lego's DO NOT go together!

I joined the Apple World, with my new Macbook Pro. I am so excited about it!

I also got some camera accessories to go along with the new camera Justin SHOCKED me with on our anniversary, December 19th! He got me a Canon 5D Mark II.........I have been wanting this camera for over 5 years now. I was so excited when he gave it to me on our anniversary. Actually he gave it to me a day early, on a Sunday. He came to me that evening and said this coming week was going to be super hectic at the office and that he wouldn't be home a whole lot. So he said he thought he better give me my anniversary gift early, because we wouldn't see each other very much or maybe not at all, the following day.

I was not expecting to open this camera........I got kind of emotional. I think when you have been dreaming of something like this for so long it's crazy when it actually comes true. This new full frame camera will take my photography to the next level. Along with the Photo Shop Action Software I got for Christmas. Exciting stuff I tell you!!!

Thanks Babe!

This is Christmas mayhem..........the kids were all trying to help Justin with his Lego project.

After a few tips, Justin's tower was complete. He was very excited about the message and gift that it contained! This was his "To Cherish" gift! And I know it will be a gift we will both cherish! It basically says Let's go BUILD some memories in the Big Apple! We might decide to go somewhere else but sometime in the month of April Justin and I will get a little alone time and I can't wait!!!

Justin's Gift's:

"To Amuse"- Remote control truck

"To Use"- 3 pairs of pants

"To Cherish"- Trip to NY or somewhere else

Becky's Gift's:

"To Amuse"- Remote control truck

"To Use"- Macbook Pro

"To Cherish"- Camera accessories

Kiersten's Gift's:

"To Amuse"- Rip Stick

"To Use"- Bedspread with a note that I will paint and redo her room

"To Cherish"- tiny tiny shadow frames with lit up Disney scenes

Hunter's Gift's:

"To Amuse"- remote control truck

"To Use"- 3D deer target for archery

"To Cherish"- Lego set The Robot Set

Logan's Gift's:

"To Amuse"- remote control truck

"To Use"- Kid wood set with tools

"To Cherish"- MP3 player with ear phones

Mr. Grant's Gift's:

"To Amuse"-remote control dump truck

"To Use"- jacket

"To Cherish"- Tool bench set

This is the second year we have done the 3 gift idea. I knew in November when I asked my kids about last years Christmas and they could remember all 3 gifts they were given that this would be a tradition that would last at the Cluff home. The kids have never complained about only getting 3 gifts and it make me put a lot more thought into the gift giving. The kids don't need 15 little gifts to open Christmas morning and I think it brings less of the commercialism into our home at Christmas time. Of course they are still excited about what they want each year, but when they know they only get 3 things they are selective on their wish list as well.

All in all this tradition has been a blessing to us!

By about 4:30 everyone was tired so we all cuddled in mom's bed and room and went back to sleep for a couple of hours, until Mr. Grant woke up to have his Christmas!

It was a great morning! We also told the kids where we would be taking them.........

We are going to DISNEYLAND!!!

As if that wasn't enough we told them we would be going with Brian and Tif's family!

They were CRAZY EXCITED!

The fun trip was to begin at 2:00 p.m.