Merry Christmas #2

This Christmas was really bittersweet for me. It was the first time I wasn't at my parents' house on Christmas EVER. While I really missed being with my mom & dad, it was fun to start some new traditions with MY family.

We spent Christmas Eve morning baking & decorating cookies for Santa, listening to Christmas carols & watching "The First Noel" (an awesome movie about Jesus' birth, from the perspective of one of the wisemen). Jack was quite the little decorator. For some reason, he thought licking the red hots would help them stick better... don't worry, we reserved those cookies just for Santa! It was fun to do this as a family (a new tradition, I think).

We rushed around after naps to make it to church for the 4 service. We were really lucky to get three seats in the main worship center. Only after we were seated in the middle of the row, did we realize that we forgot a bottle for Will and he would most definitely be hungry at some point during the nearly two hour service. Oops! Yes, I was that person who got up mid-sermon and had to "excuse me" down the row & back again.

After church, we came home to an already-baking lasagna, ate dinner and let the boys open one gift. I think this will be a new tradition... pj's and an ornament (I've given one to Nick, Jack and now Will every year) on Christmas Eve.

Jack picked out cookies he decorated and left a note for Santa, letting him know that he wanted a telescope (a what?!?). Apparently, he takes his cues from Diego in his Christmas movie.

Christmas morning was so much fun! After last year's confusion over why Santa was not physically at Nanny & Bapa's house, it was awesome to see Jack so excited about the stockings. Santa (aka crafty dad) pulled through & brought a homemade telescope and lots of other little things. Jack and Will also got three presents each (an idea I got from my friend, Holly... three gifts, just like Jesus. It really made me think about what to give them).

After breakfast, we made Baby Jesus' birthday cake. Jack was sure he'd want funfetti with pink frosting and sprinkles (yet another tradition idea I came up with and then got from my friend, Tiffany).

We spent Christmas Day playing with the boys' new toys, having a yummy ham dinner and capping things off by going through Jolly Holiday Lights (the last of our holiday traditions) and coming home for Jesus' cake and ice cream. What a fitting end to a very merry Christmas. Happy Birthday, Jesus!