Holiday Fun ~ Christmas!!! ~ Part 3

I am finally to the best of the Holiday Fun ~ Christmas and Christmas Eve!!!

We actually celebrated everything a day early because Mark had to fly out on the actual Christmas Day.  The girls are too young to know the difference so it really didn't matter.  I was just thankful that he was home at all and not working for the whole thing.

Christmas Eve!


The Christmas Eve tradition for my family has always been to eat appetizers for dinner, open up one present and then go to an evening Christmas church service.  Well, since we celebrated a day early, we couldn't really do the church service but the rest of the tradition remained the same!

Last year we started the Elf on the Shelf craze tradition.  The Elf got a little hungry before heading back to Santa that night!

Grandpa and Taylor relaxing watching the Rudolph movie.

The next couple of pictures are of Taylor's doll house.......seriously, I wish that I could have had one of these when I was growing up!!!!  This thing is AWESOME!!!!

Last year, we also started the tradition of leaving some cookies and milk for Santa and veggies for the reindeer.  Although, after hearing about the whole Reindeer Food Parties, I think next year we will be doing that!

We tend to go a little bit overboard with our tree!  We always get a 10-12 foot tree......always a GREAT idea when we are decorating it and we are excited for the Holiday season.....always regret it when we are taking down the decorations and the thing is dry as a bone and sticking you to death as you are trying to take it down.

Christmas Day!!!


We started the day out right.......left over cookie crumbs and reindeer "poop" trail......

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture!  The classic "just woke up, don't quite know what to think, is that what I think it is, did Santa really come" look that only a child can have on Christmas morning!!!

Madi checking out her new flashcards!

Madi acted as what was to be expected for a baby's 1st Christmas.....could care less about the toys......just give me the wrapping paper!!!

A new bed for my babies!

I don't know what we were thinking in having Santa Clause bring Taylor roller skates?!?!  She had been talking about them since last summer so how could we not!  I just know we are one fall away from visiting the local emergency room!

Last year, we started another new tradition of having a small cake and singing Happy Birthday to baby Jesus!  Madi sure LOVED the cake and it was good practice for her birthday celebration coming up!!

Just chillaxing in my babies bed!

Overall, it was a great Christmas!!!  Madi woke up not feeling well at all, so I was kind of worried that her 1st Christmas was going to be a bust.  But, after a couple of hour nap, she was feeling much better and obviously ready to dig into some cake!

I just remember last year on Christmas Eve......I was having on and off contractions and was wondering whether or not we were going to be spending Christmas Day in the hospital having a baby!