So of course there's tons of stuff to document and a crazy number of pictures, but I'm going to start with Christmas Eve and Christmas and then work my way backwards if I manage it. And as much as it pains me, I'm not going to be able to detail everything so that I'll actually get something posted.
On Christmas Eve we spent the afternoon at Nana and Granddad's house, exchanging presents and having a yummy dinner.
It's so fun watching the kids opening presents!
Andrew halfway understood what he was supposed to do, but finally the big kids helped him unwrap his tool bench.
Sarah got magnetic dress up dolls and and a simon-says type dancing microphone. Nathan got this memory light up game which he LOVES, and a laser maze game. They also got a fort building kid which kind of got forgotten until today when Daddy helped the kids build an "igloo" that Nathan is sleeping in tonight!
After dinner we dressed Andrew in pajamas, then loaded the car in hopes of seeing some Christmas lights on the way home (as long as Andrew wasn't screaming). We were fortunate - just a few neighborhoods down the road was a fabulous go-all-out decorated house, complete with two-story-tall Santa and snowman blow-ups. We also had just enough time to swing by another house that had a light show programmed to music before heading home to plop Andrew in his crib, read "The Night Before Christmas", leave Santa a snack of cinnamon rolls and milk and the reindeer some "magic reindeer food".
I only got a few pictures of opening presents the next morning... nothing like an 11 month old to keep you too busy to pick up the camera! We gave Sarah a doll house and a set of small Disney princess dolls to live in the house. Nathan got a big Lego set, but we also gave him some super hero action figures, thinking that he would want to play with Sarah and the doll house. We thought correctly, as you might notice Captain America and Iron Man stationed in the doll house. Don't be fooled, they aren't sleeping but rather "protecting the princesses". Andrew was pretty excited about the doll house as well, especially taking out and putting back in the dolls and furniture.
Nathan working on his first of three Lego sets (one from Santa, one from Aunt Karen, and one from Dad and Mom.)
It was the Christmas of dolls for Sarah. Besides the doll house, Aunt Karen gave Sarah a baby doll with a change of clothes and Santa brought her a Barbie doll. The Barbie was named "Peyton" (after a friend from school) and the baby doll has been named both "Mary Ann" and "Peyton" depending on the day.
This expression of Brian's made me smile, as he's putting together Andrew's present. I do have to say, I was hit by a stroke of genius at the last minute with this gift. It was looking like Andrew might not have any presents under the tree from Mommy and Daddy!
Andrew's expressions were priceless when he figured out how his new toy worked!
The kids had fun pushing Andrew around the house too!
Mid-morning, other family started arriving. Grandmother, Pawpaw and Gran came first so we could all exchange gifts. Andrew just seems to adore Grandmother, which just pleases us all!
I love that Gran always likes to be extra festive with her outfit!
Sorry Pawpaw, I didn't get a picture of you, but here's Brian with his new chainsaw helmet!
We hadn't even made it to lunch time, but that was all the pictures I managed to take. But to recap the rest, Nana and Granddad joined us for a Christmas lunch of pork loin roast with balsalmic vinegar glaze, homemade rolls, Grandmother's roasted squash, and green beans, followed by a host of delicious desserts: boiled custard, two French silk pies, dipped chocolates, pecan bars, cashew brittle, and more.
After lunch, everyone went their separate ways for Christmas afternoon naps. I crashed; I was feeling pretty terrible from my cough/cold, while Brian stayed up with Andrew who was refusing naps because of his cough/cold - ugh! But we made it through and the five of us rallied for dinner at Uncle David and Aunt Bridget's house, with more yummy food and more presents to exchange. It was a jam-packed and fun filled Christmas!
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