Perfect Christmas

This has been an awesome Christmas.

 

We continued our tradition of a Book Advent.  One Christmas themed book to open every night from December 1st to Christmas Eve.

We picked out and cut our tree at our favorite local tree farm.

All Decorated!

We baked lots and lots of cookies!

Having fun cutting out cookies.

And we completely changed the order of our holidays!  Usually we spend Christmas Eve and Day running to all the different family's houses and by the end of the day both kids are crazy, wild and worn out.  This year I am 9 months pregnant and I am not up to that kind of craziness.  So I broke tradition.  Not a completely popular move, but it turned out so well for us.

We met at my Grandmother's house for a family gift exchange on Christmas Eve night.  It was my grandparents, mom, uncle and his girlfriend, sister and her boyfriend, brother and his girlfriend and Daddy, the kids and I.  We ate, opened present and enjoyed each others company.

Claire is so excited!

Chandler in the sea of wrapping paper.  And look at my belly!

 We got home and the kids opened their Christmas pajamas and went to bed.  Daddy and I set out the presents under the tree and headed to bed ourselves.  Christmas morning comes early!

Look at those comfy new robes!

Presents under the tree

Christmas Day was absolutely lovely.  The kids woke up around 7am and hit the presents.  My mom made homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast and I cut up some fresh fruit.  After breakfast and showers we threw a ham in the oven and put out some snacks on the table - veggie tray and dips, cheese ball and crackers, pretzels, pickles, olives, etc.  

My in-laws came over around noon and snacked, chatted, exchanged presents and headed home around 3pm.  

We sat around and relaxed and ate food all day.  Daddy threw around some of his new golf discs and the kids were SO good.  They played with their toys and had fun all day.  My grandmother bought them Innotabs for Christmas and they adore them!  This is what I saw for half the day:

Completely engrossed!

The other half the day was spent playing with dolls, remote control cars, action figures, puzzles, etc.  We didn't even turn the TV on until about a half hour before bedtime. 

Since we had such a simple meal clean up was quick and easy.  Once the kids went to bed Daddy and I snuggled on the couch and watched last year's Doctor Who Christmas special and were in bed by 10:30.  Perfect Day.