A Trenton Christmas.

We woke up the day after Christmas and prepared to head up to Trenton for one final celebration this Christmas season.  The kids were stoked to get to Mimi and Poppa's house.  We had a great time visiting with family, eating on ham, turkey, and barbeque, and opening even more gifts.

By the time we left, I'm pretty sure we were all a bit delirious.  I honestly don't remember much about the car ride home other than thinking that we sure did laugh a lot.  Our kids' personalities have really blossomed lately...and they're some stinkin' funny kids if I do say so myself.

Even though I am hugely pregnant (emphasis on HUGELY) and have a pretty nasty head cold, it's been such fun to take time to relax, love on my family, and celebrate the birth of Jesus.  We're all out of work and school until January 2, so we're going to continue to use this time to simply enjoy each other. 

And as crazy as they may be, I'm so thankful that my family is enjoyable.  I can't imagine it any other way.

Christmas Day.

Much like last year, Emmy was the first to stir on Christmas morning.  It was about 7:45 when she started babbling in her crib and because Ben and me had both been awake for about twenty minutes, we decided to go ahead and get her up in hopes that the big kids would being to stir as well.  Our plan worked!

Contrary to what's portrayed in the image above, Emmy was actually in a really great mood.  She's just not much for pictures first thing in the morning. :)

Babe was a little nervous that Santa might not have come (she didn't hear any "jing-a-ling-a-lings" in the middle of the night), but we made it downstairs to find out that he most certainly stopped at our house!!

We had an absolute BLAST going through everything!

 

There really isn't much that compares to Christmas morning!

 

Once we'd checked out Santa's loot, we took a break for breakfast:  powdered donuts, sausage, and biscuits.  After fueling up, we headed back into the living room to exchange the gifts we'd purchased for each other.  Harris played Santa and distributed all of the gifts and then we took turns watching each person open a present.  The kids were so excited to give the gifts they'd chosen especially for certain family members. 

 

 

After we finished with the gifts, we put Emmy Doe down for a nap and started getting ready for the rest of the family to come over.  Ben made a pecan pie and got a turkey ready to fry and the rest of us played and played and played some more. 

 

Auntie, DB, Tyler, Cody, Mo, Raven, Sam, and Granti came over around 1:30 or so a Christmas lunch, complete with fried turkey, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, corn casserole, apricot casserole, asparagus, a veggie tray, and the absolutely delicious pie.  We pigged out and then exchanged even more gifts.

 

 

Although Mom (and the rest of the adults in our family) managed to walk away with Rod Stewart tickets, it seemed as if the kids celebrated the Year of the Lego.  I've decided that Legos aren't really my thing.  Thankfully, my sweet kiddos are loved like crazy by other adults who were willing to spend the afternoon building. :)

 

 

Pop made it by in time to chow down on some turkey, too, and we spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around, enjoying new toys, and setting Dad up with a facebook account.  As Babe would say, "Lord, help us."

 

Emmy even managed to snag herself a little chocolate. That girl is quickly becoming a hot mess.

Ben and I ended the evening by eating pie and watching "Love Actually" once we got our over-tired, over-stimulated kiddos in the bed.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

From our house to yours, Merry, Merry Christmas!

PS:  I love this next pic.





Christmas Eve.

After a low key day of Subway, naps, some dryer-fixing by Ben, and a fantastic family worship experience, we're snuggled in tight and awaiting Santa's arrival.  I love me some Christmas Eve.

Ben, Emmy, and I met up with the family at church tonight.  Both Harry and Babe were beyond excited to participate in the Christmas play this evening and the fact that Pop, Granti, Tyler, Cody, and Sam came to watch only made it better!

Hadley was absolutely perfect in her "candy cane dress," waving and smiling and singing at the top of her lungs.  She even gave a little curtsy before she left the stage.  Harris starred as a chicken in the manger scene.

To be honest, I'd never really thought about a chicken in the stable.  I'll forever think of it from now on. :)

We came home from church, ate a quick dinner, put our Christmas pajamas on, kissed Emmy Doe goodnight, and came downstairs to make chocolate chip cookies (Santa told us those were his favorite) and hot chocolate and snuggle up to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Harris made sure to write a note to Santa to leave next to the cookies. 

I love that kid.

We also spent some time "tracking" Santa's progress around the globe.  Harris took it upon himself to create his own map, too.

Again, I love that kid.

We finished up our hot chocolate, got the cookies together, said goodbye to Herman, and headed upstairs.

Before climbing in bed, Babe reminded Ben that if heard a "jing-a-ling-a-ling," he needed to make sure to "spring from his bed to see what was the matter."

That girl has my heart, too.

Merry Christmas Eve, y'all. 

The Sugarplum Fairy.



Babe has been talking for weeks (probably since the beginning of December) about her role as "The Sugarplum Fairy" in the Christmas play at school.  I'm not always sure what to expect with Had, but was pleasantly surprised to walk into her classroom for the Christmas party and see my girl, all dressed up in the "sugarplum" dress she picked out weeks ago, complete with a sugarplum sash and crown provided by her teacher, all ready to perform.

 

Her sweet little class acted out "The Night Before Christmas," and Babe's role was to twirl when the "visions of sugarplums danced in their heads."  She was perfect.

After the play, the kids sang a few songs and then participated in a book exchange.  Evidently, Hadley had been planning on singing "Away in a Manger" as a solo, but chickened out at the last minute.  She did a great job singing with her class, though!  The kids also attempted to tell holiday knock-knock jokes.  What is it with kids and knock-knock jokes?!?!?

Ben was able to attend the party as well, and Babe was super stoked to go home with him once it was over (I had to go back to work). 

This crazy, silly, sweet, bossy, smart, imaginative girl keeps us on our toes. 

I am so looking forward to Christmas morning with her.

A Chick-fil-a Christmas.

Now that Harris can read, nothing gets by him. 

He saw the advertisement for the Chick-fil-a Christmas party and made the decision that since it was on a Tuesday, our family should definitely go, even though it was at the "Chick-fil-a close to our house and not the Chick-fil-a by Granti's old work."

And our sweet family agreed.

It was crazy and crowded and chaotic.  The kids had a blast.

There was a gingerbread making station,

an ornament making station (Hadley made an ornament for Ms. Audra, her Pre-K teacher),

a Santa Claus station,

and an elf cow.

And almost nowhere to sit. :)

We managed to eat dinner, participate in all the crafts, get in a little playground time, and get home before anyone lost their sanity.

Now that was a Christmas miracle.