It’s Christmas Time in the Yakima pt 1

This year the Gailans celebrated Christmas in our home town of Yakima. It was nice to kick back, relax and just hang with family as we remembered the true reason for the season: the Savior. 

On the 14th we had an early Gailan Christmas with Matt, Kristen, Stella, Gianna and G&G Gailan. Great food and wild kids. Plus Uncle Matt won with the favorite toy (so far) - a remote controlled car. Clark literally went bananas and we all got stomach cramps from laughing so hard. 

The following week, G&G Kitchen showed up! Yaaaaay! We love having them. They watched the Washburns kids on Wednesday so Kristina and Fred could take some alone time and we went up to help make delicious cheese gems and just generally be silly. Grandma Tina let Clark and Anderson help put in the graham cracker crust. 

Then things got interesting. Friday morning at midnight Dana woke up to a very weird, seal-like cough coming from Charlotte. He pulled out his stethescope, did some nursing and yup diagnosed her with croup. Awesome. Not. Poor thing was so tired she spent the whole morning just laying on my shoulder and even slept there for a while which is so not our kids. Every few minutes she'd do this pathetic little seal cough and just cry and cry. Needless to say the rest of the Christmas vacation for Charlotte was sleeping upright in her carseat and just being held...which she hated of course:) No, I think it was maybe the best 5 days of her life, minus the seal cough. 

Even so the Washburns and G&G risked the sickness and came down just to hang out at our house before going to see the latest Star Wars. All the non sickies braved the cold to visit the Moxee playground and Clark decided to pose for my new favorite photo ever. Seriously, how hilarious is my kid on his squirrel?

 On Saturday we went up again to join the whole clan at a pavilion high in the mountains. It was 13 degrees when we arrived but it was 116 degrees right around the giant fire the boys built so we were just fine:) The babies napped.

The really big kids went snow shoeing and the medium kids ate snacks and played in the snow and lounged lazily by the fire. 

All Mr. Clark wanted to do was pull the sled around and occasionally drag Dana around as well (which was pretty cute to watch.). He finally came to the fire when he hands got cold but otherwise he was in snow heaven!

 Sunday we went to church and then had fondu at our house. Clark and Anderson lost their fondu sticks in the first 2 minutes because of a serious sword fight but otherwise no serious casualties. Then it was time for cousin presents. The best gift - Clark got a hotwheels racing set from Aunt Kristina. See that grin. He was beyond excited and made us set it up immediately.

The Washburns went home to wait for Santa and it was time to open Christmas Jammies!! So Charlotte got these cute terrycloth jammies with foxes and Clark got dinosaur PJS that might or might not be about 3 sizes too big for him. Whoops. Time to grow boy. 

We did family scriptures and sent the kiddos to bed and then santa arrived and left a kitchen for Charlotte and a Lightning McQueen pillow for Clark. 

He also left two cute little missionary stockings for Grandma Tina and Grandpa Pat. The adults watched a little British Bake Off and then all settled in for a long winter's night.