Merry Christmas!

We decided years ago that we are not traveling anymore for Christmas Day. It’s too hard to try to cart presents and everything home after Santa comes so we decided to see family the days leading up and spend the actual day at home. Normally that means we’re in Vivian until late on the 24th but with the way everyone else’s schedule was we celebrated at the camp on the 23rd this year. So our Christmas Eve was very low key. We came home about noon so that I could cook and clean. About 4:00 we opened gifts from each other. 


I have been so excited for months to tell this about this! We’re going to Mexico in March and taking them swimming with the dolphins. Lillian said it was her favorite gift! Katie is excited but with no instant gratification I’m not sure it was her favorite. 

We went to 5:00 church and the candlight singing of Silent Night is one of my favorite childhood memories and something I want the girls to experience. I remember always being moved by it and it allowing the excitement to slow just long enough to remember what we are celebrating. 

Katie slept through the first half of the service and Lillian was very concerned she was going to have a hard time going back to sleep and make Santa skip our house. No reason to worry though because after dinner of homemade pizza, watching Rudolph and FaceTimeing with Yaya while she read The Night Before Christmas, they were still both asleep by 8:00. 

That’s probably why at 5:30 this morning I woke up to giggles coming from their room. We told them we weren’t getting up until 6:00 but Matt reluctantly got up earlier when I told him his whole family was awake. 



Even the dogs and cat had gifts in their stockings. Lilli’s big gift from Santa was an iPad and Katie got an LOL house. Plus books, art stuff and schleich figurine toys. They played all morning while we had movies Santa brought in the background. 

About noon Yaya and Capn got here for our lunch of prime rib, cheesy potatoes, bacon wrapped green beans and creamed spinach. Matt outdid himself as usual.


He took a before picture but we forgot to get an after. We had a really nice visit and we were so glad they came. It really means so much to have them here and the kids asked all morning how much longer till they got here. They were so excited to run up to them and show them all their new goodies. After they left I decided to leave the kitchen until naps because I was totally worn out from the last few days.

(I wasn’t the only one- she never naps and has twice in 3 days!) 
 But I woke up to it perfectly clean and my sweet husband told me he figured there was nothing he could get me that I would appreciate more. ❤️ But we also got to use my other gift from him after our naps while we watched the final movie of the day. 

I’ve wanted a popcorn machine for a while. My mom had one and I have so many memories as a kid of sitting around watching it pop before a movie. Katie thought it was super cool too. It was a really nice, lazy day. There’s definitely something to be said for a big family gathering, and everyone knows I love that. But there’s also something to be said for being at home and not having to rush around. I’m not sure which is better but the four of us together is the perfect way to spend any day. Merry Christmas!

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