All night long, I kept waking up, thinking it was time for Christmas. I was so excited - probably more excited than the kids. At one point in the morning, Jake came in our room, so I was just waiting for Jillian, who is usually right on Jake's heels. But she didn't come, and Jake and I fell back asleep. Then, all of a sudden, Rick and I heard footsteps pounding on the floor. They stopped and then came towards our room. Jillian had come out of her room, RAN to the top of the stairs to see if she could see anything (which is why we made sure the gate was locked!), and then came in our room. She said, "mommy and daddy, lets go see if Santa came!" So we woke up Jake and went downstairs. Jillie and Jake were so excited!
Jillian FLEW down the stairs, and when she spied her pillow pet, she yelled out, "He got me a pillow pet!" She ran over to it, grabbed it, and flew over to hug on it.
She started to take it upstairs, but I convinced her to leave it downstairs until we finished seeing what else Santa left for her.
Jake was a little slower coming down the stairs. But when he saw all the presents under the tree, he was awestruck. He put his little hands up to his "O" shaped mouth. Thankfully, we captured that moment on video. He was so cute! Jillian pointed out his pillow pet too, and he ran over and grabbed it.
We told them they could go ahead and see what Santa brought them. I started to ask Jillian, "do you want me to help you..." (I was going to ask if she wanted me to help her pick one to open, so she'd open her best one last.) She cut me off and said, "no mom, I just wanna do it myself!" O-kay.
She had like an inch of paper off the box and said, "I know what this is! Its my walking puppy!" She was very excited to get the walking puppy, as it was a last minute wish that wasn't on her list that she gave to Santa. So she wasn't sure if Santa knew she wanted it. But, of course he did. Santa knows everything!
After Jillian opened her walking puppy, Jake realized he had presents too. Jillian wanted to help him open, but he "gently" told her that he had it covered.
Baby All Gone! Jillian has been asking for this doll for MONTHS. She's happy to finally have it!
Jake got two old-fashioned Tonka trucks. The metal kind that will withstand lots and lots of years of play. I'm not sure who is more excited about the Tonka trucks - Jake, or Rick!
Jillian opening her present from Jake. He got her a purse shaped like a dog. She and I had gone last-minute shopping on Christmas Eve, and Jillian fell in love with this purse. She carried it around the whole store, even though I told her we weren't buying it. She asked me why she couldn't have it, and I told her that we might come back for it after Christmas, but she needed to wait and see what Santa and her family gave her for Christmas before we bought new toys. She wasn't thrilled with that, but she accepted it. I was able to get the clerk to sneak it onto our order and in to a bag without Jillian noticing. When she opened it, she told me, "Oh, that's why you wouldn't buy that doggy purse for me. Jake got it for me!"
And Jillian got Jake some Dr. Seuss books. When he opened them, he told Jillian "thank you" and then immediately went upstairs to put them on the bookshelf in his room.
The walking puppy not only walks, but also barks and wiggles. Sometimes he does it just randomly. George was not sure about this new dog. Not sure at all.
Still two presents left, from Grandma Lynne and Grandpa Rodney!
Jake got more tools for his tool set!
Jillian got a ton of Barbies and Barbie accessories. Furniture, clothes, dishes, shoes. All kinds of stuff.
Whoa, Jake. That's a handfull of tools!
Jillian quickly dumped out the Barbies and got down to business, setting up the kitchen and the bedroom.
LOTS of Barbies!
Oh wait! We forgot to open our stockings!
Both kids had gold coins in their stockings. Leading up to Christmas, I kept asking Jillian what was going to be in her stocking. She would say she didn't know. I'd say, "are there going to be some toys in there?" And Jillian would say, "no mommy, Santa puts gold in your stocking!" I think she got that from a book we have about Thomas the Train. In the book, Thomas is happy when he gets COAL in his stocking! Jillian hears GOLD when we read that story, obviously.
Silly string!
Both kids got harmonicas in their stockings. After a few minutes of practice, they've both become master harmonica players. They're both pretty darn good.
Jake used his tools to help daddy put together his new train tracks.
This train set entertains Jake for hours at a time. It has a remote control train, and Jake has gotten really good at making the train move with the remote control. This was probably Santa's best hit!
What a wonderful Christmas morning. Seeing the look on the kids' faces and their reactions when they first came down the stairs was something I won't forget for a long time. I love that they are so innocent, and I hope they continue to believe in the magic of Santa for many more years.
Jillian FLEW down the stairs, and when she spied her pillow pet, she yelled out, "He got me a pillow pet!" She ran over to it, grabbed it, and flew over to hug on it.
She started to take it upstairs, but I convinced her to leave it downstairs until we finished seeing what else Santa left for her.
Jake was a little slower coming down the stairs. But when he saw all the presents under the tree, he was awestruck. He put his little hands up to his "O" shaped mouth. Thankfully, we captured that moment on video. He was so cute! Jillian pointed out his pillow pet too, and he ran over and grabbed it.
We told them they could go ahead and see what Santa brought them. I started to ask Jillian, "do you want me to help you..." (I was going to ask if she wanted me to help her pick one to open, so she'd open her best one last.) She cut me off and said, "no mom, I just wanna do it myself!" O-kay. 
She had like an inch of paper off the box and said, "I know what this is! Its my walking puppy!" She was very excited to get the walking puppy, as it was a last minute wish that wasn't on her list that she gave to Santa. So she wasn't sure if Santa knew she wanted it. But, of course he did. Santa knows everything!
After Jillian opened her walking puppy, Jake realized he had presents too. Jillian wanted to help him open, but he "gently" told her that he had it covered.
Baby All Gone! Jillian has been asking for this doll for MONTHS. She's happy to finally have it!
Jake got two old-fashioned Tonka trucks. The metal kind that will withstand lots and lots of years of play. I'm not sure who is more excited about the Tonka trucks - Jake, or Rick!
Jillian opening her present from Jake. He got her a purse shaped like a dog. She and I had gone last-minute shopping on Christmas Eve, and Jillian fell in love with this purse. She carried it around the whole store, even though I told her we weren't buying it. She asked me why she couldn't have it, and I told her that we might come back for it after Christmas, but she needed to wait and see what Santa and her family gave her for Christmas before we bought new toys. She wasn't thrilled with that, but she accepted it. I was able to get the clerk to sneak it onto our order and in to a bag without Jillian noticing. When she opened it, she told me, "Oh, that's why you wouldn't buy that doggy purse for me. Jake got it for me!"
And Jillian got Jake some Dr. Seuss books. When he opened them, he told Jillian "thank you" and then immediately went upstairs to put them on the bookshelf in his room.
The walking puppy not only walks, but also barks and wiggles. Sometimes he does it just randomly. George was not sure about this new dog. Not sure at all.
Still two presents left, from Grandma Lynne and Grandpa Rodney!
Jake got more tools for his tool set!
Jillian got a ton of Barbies and Barbie accessories. Furniture, clothes, dishes, shoes. All kinds of stuff.
Whoa, Jake. That's a handfull of tools!
Jillian quickly dumped out the Barbies and got down to business, setting up the kitchen and the bedroom.
LOTS of Barbies!
Oh wait! We forgot to open our stockings!
Both kids had gold coins in their stockings. Leading up to Christmas, I kept asking Jillian what was going to be in her stocking. She would say she didn't know. I'd say, "are there going to be some toys in there?" And Jillian would say, "no mommy, Santa puts gold in your stocking!" I think she got that from a book we have about Thomas the Train. In the book, Thomas is happy when he gets COAL in his stocking! Jillian hears GOLD when we read that story, obviously.
Silly string! 
Both kids got harmonicas in their stockings. After a few minutes of practice, they've both become master harmonica players. They're both pretty darn good.
Jake used his tools to help daddy put together his new train tracks.
This train set entertains Jake for hours at a time. It has a remote control train, and Jake has gotten really good at making the train move with the remote control. This was probably Santa's best hit!
What a wonderful Christmas morning. Seeing the look on the kids' faces and their reactions when they first came down the stairs was something I won't forget for a long time. I love that they are so innocent, and I hope they continue to believe in the magic of Santa for many more years.
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