Well it's Christmas Time, Pretty Baby

Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope everyone's Christmas went wonderfully and better than this photo shoot with my girls did.

Actually, despite my stress during this rushed photo shoot, we still got some pretty great ones

And ..... some pretty accurate ones as well....

So I don't know about you guys but this year I realized I'm an adult and I can make my own rules (I mean, within the bounds of the laws) and so we decided to have Christmas TWICE. Mostly we are tired of packing around all of the presents to other houses and we also want to be able to start some of our own traditions without forcing them on anyone else. 

So for our first Christmas Eve we had a fancy dinner at home. We had cheese fondue with french bread, apples, and broccoli to dip in it. Then there were stuffed mushrooms, shrimp cocktail, and chocolate dipped bananas and strawberries. So, yes, you guessed it, the girls had a dinner of bread and chocolate fruit.... But Buck and I really enjoyed the other entries as well. ;) I also enjoyed making a simple but fancy candle light table-scape.

 

And of course some sparkling (blueberry) cider.

And for dessert some cooked chocolate pudding with whipped cream and crushed candy cane.

After dinner we read the nativity story in the Bible, watched a few movie clips of it, laid baby Jesus in the "giving manger," sang Silent Night and then said a family prayer together.

And then it was time to set our treats for Santa and his reindeer, read the poem, "The Night Before Christmas," and tuck the girls into bed.

After they were all nestled and dreaming of sugar plums, Buck and I watched "The Nativity," my favorite movie to watch for Christmas, and then helped Santa. ;)

Christmas morning called to the girls in the early hours and up they sprang. They were thrilled with their gifts and had a grand time playing and taking a slow morning.

An dI got narwhal slippers that are HEATED. 

That afternoon we went to church for the music program.

And then we shipped off to Buck's parents house for Christmas Eve #2, which was also wonderful. 

We played a rousing game of White Elephant gift exchange:

The girls got Christmas pajamas:

And their Pop's read them, "The Night Before Christmas."

My sister in law and her husband also made the cutest "winter wonderland" decorations to make the large room sized toy closet into a cozy place for June and Hazel to sleep and I'm so sad I didn't get a good picture of it before the girls messed it up! But just know that they had the best place to sleep that night. And they also left cookies for Santa again.

Christmas morning #2 also woke the girls up early and excited. They did gt a few more small gifts, like glow stick things. haha

Which is apparently all I took photos of that morning.

And of Jade in the mess after all the unwrapping.

And of sleeping Jan

The rest of the day (and couple days we stayed there) was spent with some serious relaxing time. 

Cousins bonded.

Games were played.

Books were read.

Creations were made.

Lounging was a sport.

And some of us didn't even bother with pants.

Video games were reborn in Buck's life.

And the celebrations ended with sunny 50 degree weather and playing outside!

So here's to two Christmases back to back! 

Merry Christmas!