Christmas Week Overview and Christmas Eve Pictures

I'm going to try and buckle down and get Christmas pictures up on the blog!  T minus 3 days until my due date, but only God knows when Baby Boy is actually going to make his appearance, so I've got to hurry if I'm going to get December highlights documented before his arrival!

Christmas week was a rough one this year in terms of Brian's schedule.  Brian was on call on Christmas Day as well at the "late doc" on the 23rd and the 24th, which left me and the kids lots of time by ourselves to fill that week.  We ended up alternating days between the grandparents' houses, which worked out perfectly (at least from my point of view).  Here's the overview of our week:

• Monday Dec 22 - Brian off early.  The kids spent the night at Gran and Pawpaw's house and Brian and I had a date night.
• Tuesday, Dec 23 - Brian "late doc".  After my OB appointment and a last minute shopping trip for Christmas "jommies", the kids and I spent the rest of the morning dipping chocolates at Gran and Pawpaw's house.
• Wednesday, Dec 24 - The kids and I spent Christmas Eve with Nana and Granddad, where, to the kids' delight, they got to open the first of their presents!  Brian was the "late doc" again, but thankfully was able to get off before 4pm so he could enjoy some family time with all of us!
• Thursday, Dec 25 - Christmas morning at home with me and the kids.  Brian Facetimed us from the hospital, so that was nice.  We opened Santa gifts and presents from Aunt Karen and family while eating sausage balls and chocolate Santa candy bars (part of their Santa gifts).  Then we picked up Granddaddy and Grandmother and headed to the lake house for our first Christmas dinner and to spend the rest of the day with Pawpaw and Gran.
• Friday, Dec 26 - Brian off (finally!), so we had family Christmas gifts in the morning and a lazy day around the house.  After naps, we took the kids' new balance bikes over the Granddad and Nana's house to ride, then had our second Christmas dinner with them, Uncle David, Aunt Bridget and Bridget's mom and brother.  

Now, on to the pictures!

Opening presents on Christmas Eve morning with Granddad and Nana:

Nathan got a "Cranky the Crane" and "Thomas Wash Station" to add to his wooden train collection.  They were both a BIG hit!

Sarah got a new baby doll named Sophie along with lots of accessories - her favorite being the rolling suitcase that has a special seat for her doll!

Nathan also got the game Qwerkle and Nana and I tried to play it with him after his quiet time.  Nana's expression is pretty appropriate for how she and I both felt about the game - confused!  And although Nana and I struggled to get one tile on the board during most of our turns, Nathan had no problem making amazing plays throughout most of the game.

After dinner we hurried home to squeeze in the opening of the Christmas pajamas and the family reading of "The Night Before Christmas" and the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible before bedtime. 

For the first time, we all had our "stockings hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there"!  (Gran and I spent the month passing supplies back and forth to get stockings made for Brian and the kids to match the one that my great-grandmother made for me when I was born.  With good foresight, we also made Baby Boy's stocking with the exception of the embroidery, which is awaiting his birth and naming.)

We also left out a plate of cookies and milk for Santa (of course)! 

All that was left was anticipation of the morning to come!!