It's Christmas!

Sometimes I feel like I'm not really in the moment when I'm taking so many pictures.  So I didn't take any until after all the presents were open, so I could really enjoy the time with my little family. 

We heard a little pitter patter around 7:30.  It was so fun to lay in bed with Dave and hear Aubree's discovery of Santa's arrival.  The tree with presents, and the stockings are in different rooms, and I kept hearing little feet running between them :) We let her have her moment, and then got Soph and went down to join her.  It was such a fun morning.  

Sophie loved all her presents.

She was here for at least an hour:

Then found her sticker book,

and coloring book

I was SO PROUD of Aubree.  After our incident Christmas Eve with her one present, I was really nervous for this morning.  We have always had hard Christmases, and birthdays with her Low Emotional Threshold.  We did have a long talk the night before about appropriate reactions, and how we can help her, etc...and she did AWESOME.  She figured out that she was okay as long as no one was watching her open the presents.  As soon as she discovered what it was, she invited us to look too. :) We didn't have ANY eruptions, and she actually wanted MORE presents, which has never happened.  It was amazing.  Small victories :)

She was super excited to find flarp at the bottom of her stocking.

And she had so many new toys, she didn't know where to start!

She was very appreciative, happy, and sweet.

After presents, we got ready and went to Sacrement.  I was proud again when they didn't put up a fight to go to church on Christmas!  They did bring as many toys as they could hold, but they were great the whole time :)  Then we went up to Grandma's and did it all again :)  We spent the day there.  And this is where my favorite memory happened.  We got Dave's Dad, 17 Miracles, for part of his present.  We had never seen it, and during nap time he put it on.  Aubree didn't have to take a nap (Sophie wanted too, or she could have skipped too) and so she ended up watching it with us.  My favorite memory being this: comforting Aubree as she was just sobbing after watching the movie.  It took about 30 minuets to console her.  This is one thing I LOVE about her emotions.  She feels the spirit stronger, and the emotion in movies.  She was so concerned about us dying, and the characters in the movies.  She felt their pain and loss.  At first I was a little scared that it ruined her Christmas.  She just wanted to be held, and go home.  But after letting it ride it's course, and a little encouraging, she was up and playing again.  It was a precious moment I got to share with her, and I am very thankful for it.  

The rest of the day and evening was fun, normal, and restful.  I got to talk to my family, wish them a Merry Christmas, and instead of being sad that they're far away, be grateful that I have them.  It was a FABULOUS CHRISTMAS!!!!