For as long as I can recall we’ve always done Christmas Eve at my parent’s house and Christmas day at JJ’s parents house so this year, when both sides of the family had other plans, I just knew it wouldn’t be the same. And while this was still true, it turns out we had a great time just the same in still keeping with some traditions and introducing a few new ones. As usual, we went to the Christmas Eve Love feast (this time in Raleigh). It was Connor’s first service and he did surprisingly well.

Post candlelight service the kids went to bed and it might have been a blessing in disguise that we weren’t out too late, because JJ and I both were a little under the weather, but still had Santa to play. We wrapped all the gifts (except for bikes and train) because Cailee informed me that Santa forgot to wrap some gifts last year. Although, this year she questioned why Santa used the same wrapping paper as mommy – clearly I don’t have this Santa thing down too well.

Christmas morning was relaxing, Connor was up first, and he found me (so I guess that means I was really up first) downstairs, not surprisingly, me making him promise to stay in his bed the night before fell on deaf ears. And of course he scoped out his new train, and his reaction was precious, he ran to me and said “He (aka Santa) got it, mommy!” He wasn’t happy when I made him go back upstairs and wait for Cailee to wake up, but he did it.

I do believe the kids got everything on their Santa lists this year (Cailee might disagree, hers never stopped changing/growing) – Connor got a bike (his first), a train, legos, bumblebee transformer, planes, school bus (and other things with wheels). Cailee got a bike (bigger than the one she’s grown out of), frozen dolls, shopkins (if you don’t know, don’t ask), and sewing/knitting sets.

And then we cooked up our first Christmas dinner complete with beef tenderloin (it was good & easy, might be a new tradition). Plus, we were really lucky that Uncle John, Aunt Beth and GG & Gdaddy Dewar could join us.

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But even before the big day, we had lots of fun. I think this is the year that Connor really “got” it and he was pretty enthused about everything Christmas.   We made cookies, went to Wheels to get out the rammies, did our last minute shopping, and decorated our Gingerbread House – which wouldn’t have been complete without our dripping snow and icing mustaches.

 

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