Our Christmas 2015

Several weeks ago we went to see Santa!

Our Christmas card picture this year!

Christmas Eve started a little rough for us.  Kevin and I both had head colds that kept us from getting any deep sleep that night .  We felt drained before the day even started, but it didn't keep us from doing most of what we planned.   We took some DayQuil and started on our to-do list.  For me that meant picking up the house and making 100+ sugar cookies.  Kevin had to put together one of the kids toys they were getting that evening from their grandparents and I had him switch Austin's crib to a twin bed that day too.  We chose to pass on our church's Christmas Eve service since we weren't feeling great (because we would have had to take all 4 kids to service with us, and that's never gone smoothly).  We opted to watch a Christmas Eve service from our favorite Elevation Church app instead.  That evening, we hosted dinner for Kevin's parents and I made a pretty easy meal (ham, roasted potatoes, snow peas, corn, crescent rolls).  The kids enjoyed opening their gifts from their mamaw and papaw and spent most of the evening trying out their new heavy-duty teeter totter.

We got a bit more sleep on Christmas morning.  Krissy woke up at 5am and had a conversation with Hayden but they both went back to sleep.  Austin woke up around 6am but fell back asleep.  Allie was the first one out of bed at 7:15 and I heard her little feet run down the hallway.  Once she spotted the gifts under the tree she ran into our bedroom to tell us Santa had come.  We told her to go wake up everyone else, and she happily did!

Allie and Hayden passed out gifts.  Austin stayed close to me and Kevin on the couch and didn't have much interest in opening his gifts.  He seemed to enjoy watching everyone else open theirs.  Krissy almost immediately started eating all the chocolate and candy that was in her stocking, while Allie and Hayden anxiously opened gifts and wanted everything put together right.then.and.there.  We helped Austin open his gifts and then started assembling and unpackaging all the new gifts.

For lunch we headed to Kevin's family's get together.  I brought a spinach/strawberry/pecan salad with raspberry vinaigrette and gingersnaps and sugar cookies for the dessert table.  We had a good time visiting with all his aunts/uncles/cousins/the new babies.  We took the kids home for a nap, but unfortunately no kids took naps.  Austin still wasn't a fan of staying in his new bed, so Kevin decided to lay with him until Austin fell asleep - but Kevin fell asleep and as soon as he did, Austin snuck out of his room and came to the family room to play with me and the other kids.  We ended up going ahead to my parents house to start my family's Christmas.

My dad had worked well into Christmas morning on a stabbing that made the news.  I always like hearing him tell the stories, so when we got to my parents house I wanted to hear all about his night fighting crime haha!  We waited for nieces to arrive and wake up, then we opened gifts and ate a fantastic dinner.  I didn't stuff myself at lunch because I knew I'd want to indulge a little more at dinner!  :)  We all left around 8 o'clock and headed home.  The kids went to sleep easily, which was a great ending to a long, but great day!

Here are some pictures from Christmas Eve & morning!

Austin napping in his new bed that Kevin put together for him.  We've since put up a side rail to help keep him in bed.

Our sweet neighbors are always so thoughtful and remember our kids on Christmas!

Krissy was playing with her neighbor gifts too.  The girls and I dressed up in fancy dresses for the evening :)

I made the kids sock monkey pj pants and did our usual pose in front of the tree before we sent them to bed Christmas Eve!

All the kids camped out in the boys room.  (Austin ended up sleeping in between the girls!)

Santa has arrived!

Both girls got new bikes and Hayden got a new skateboard.  We decided on bigger gifts that were outside toys that we knew would get lots of use! 

Allie opening a box of veterinarian barbies I found at the fall consignment sale.  She had no idea they weren't new! (And what she was holding up was actually an unwrapped box of Barbie bunnies).

Hayden loves playing with money so the little cash register has been one of his favorite gifts!

Another one of Hayden's gifts was a Minecraft lego set.  Krissy got a little beauty set because she insists on watching me do my hair and make up.  She loved it!

Both of the girls got a bird cage and 2 birdies like they requested.

Both girls got new barbies.  The barbie car in the pic came from the same consignment sale I mentioned above!

Austin's "big gift" was this Tonka truck.  He loves it!

Krissy eating her chocolate...

Austin also got a football and matchbox cars and rug with a track to roll his cars around.

The kids wanted to go outside and play on their new teeter totter after all the gifts were opened!  And Austin had an accident in his jammies, which is why he no longer matches the group!