Hopefully you all had a wonderful Christmas! We stayed in our new home in Missouri and enjoyed the holidays together. We also invited Grammy to spend them with us as well.
On Christmas Eve we were playing Christmas music getting dinner together and Scott was dancing with Hailey
he was even dipping her...one of those sweet moments
Our tradition (my family passed on to ours) is to have a big Christmas Eve dinner with cornish hens. I had so much fun preparing all of the dishes- cornish hens with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, homemade rolls and jam, mom's traditional raspberry jello, and this spinach salad Kevin's Aunt passed along that has been added to the tradition. I love tradition foods and I LOVE being together as a family gathered around the table
We watched that Joy to the World video and then let the kids act out a few things they saw. Hailey makes a pretty cute Mary don't ya think?
Of course the Christmas Eve new jammies (and slippers this year)
I made this pomegranate cheesecake for dessert and had to post it since it can't go on my dairy free blog. Absolutely divine! Go to my friend Mels site for the recipe. It might be a new tradition as well :) so festive!
Santa had JUST finished at our house and Kevin and I were brushing our teeth and Scott came running in! It was about 12:30 and he was so excited that it was Christmas! I had to put him back to bed of course, but not without him seeing all of the goodies
Here are the munchkins Christmas morning around 7:30 (we made Scott watch Polar Express in our room at 6 am and wait a bit longer) Can you tell Scott woke Hailey up? Love it
headlamps Santa snuck in their stockings
We each gave each other one gift and I definitely noticed the difference in appreciation and I think everyone remembers more who gave them what when it's one thing. This is Hailey giving Scott a giant hug for her baby playpen and stroller
Dad got Scott and Hailey a kid digital camera. Hailey's excitement...
Kevin got me one of those flip video cameras- the usb just pops out to plug into the computer and it's tiny so you can carry it in your purse. I'm so excited!
I made each of them a warm fleece blanket while Kevin was in Green Bay for work a few weeks ago. It was so cute because Scott saw me making Hailey one (during her naps he was helping me) and he would say, "I want one! Can you make me a cuddly blanket?" I would say, "I don't know Scott, they are just a lot of work." or whatever. Then after I finished Haileys I pulled out Kevin's and started on that one and he's like, "YOU are making DAD one too!" Like Come on Mom what about me! Of course I was making his each night after he went to bed, he just didn't know it :)
Grammy got the kids these cute tents for their rooms. You should see how cute Hailey's is in her Princess room- so adorable
Grandma and Grandpa B got Hailey this trunk full of dressup clothes- her favorite! She took the trunk and set it right into her tent and played for quite a while
Grandpa and Grandma B got Scott this cool crane. He couldn't stop talking about it all day to everyone that called. "And it's all metal! And it rotates!"
It actually lifts like 5 pounds. I just think it's adorable that he ran and got Diego to drive the crane lift and his lego man to drive the Mack. He has played with this NON-STOP!
Both Ari and Hailey were sick (isn't someone always on Christmas?) so when Ari got up from her nap she got to open all hers. Not really, it was Scott
This poor little nose has been running since July. It stinks because the medicine that Scott was on as a baby for the same thing has too many side effects, so she has to just live with it. She is still just as happy as can be though
It's been so much fun having Grammy around! The kids have been loving it
Ari looks like she's singing carols, but I had to get a picture of Grammy and the matching dresses she got for Hailey and Ari, along with a handsome sweater and turtleneck for Scott
I found out at church today that they moved me down a class in primary, so I'll be teaching Scott next year- I'm so excited! And Hailey will be a sunbeam!
Thanks Mom and Dad for the beautiful Nativity picture above my piano! I love it!
I haven't posted yet because there was a run around with finding a matching bench, but we bought a used piano and it has been SO wonderful to have for the Christmas holiday. I'm practicing as much as I can hoping that those 8 years of lessons will come back to me :)
Last night Kevin, Cathy and I watched the Nativity Story movie when the kids went to bed. It's been so great to think about our Savior, his life and his sacrifice for us, as well as all of the things we are blessed for during this time of year. And I am soooo blessed! Especially to have the gospel and have such a wonderful family that I was raised in, as well as the one I'm growing today. I just love being a mother and am so blessed to have that opportunity. I found myself thinking so much of mother Mary this year, I guess because of the place in my life. I admire her and am so thankful for her and so desperately want to know more about her. Anyways- Merry Christmas!