Christmas

We had a fantastic Christmas this year. December was full of fun, excitement and anticipation. In years past I would include a scavenger hunt in our advent envelopes. We were getting to the end of the month and Addison was sure that the next envelope would hold the scavenger hunt (but I had not actually planned one...oops). So the night before Christmas Eve I decided I'd make a scavenger hunt out of their present (p.j.'s of course) that they get to open on Christmas Eve. So after a day to ourselves and before we did our big dinner I let the girls open the envelope inside our advent envelope and start their scavenger hunt for the pajamas.

They were surprised to find them on their pillows and tore into them immediately. So they dressed and of course had to
strike a pose in front of the upstairs tree (the presents underneath are for friends and family, none for us to open). Then after our dinner (I cooked my very first turkey dinner!) we did the traditional Bible reading and this year we added reading Polar Express to the agenda.

Bryan grew up having it read on Christmas Eve and so we decided to start doing it with our girls as well. Somehow we started the crazy tradition of sleeping all together in the girls room. We bring our mattress from our bed to their room and sleep together (usually I am sandwiched between the girls on our mattress and Bry sleeps on one of the girl's beds). Between excitement and squishy-ness there isn't much sleep to be had.

I like to take a picture of Santa's kindness before we starting off the magical morning.

Bryan hands the presents out to the girls, one at a time, back and forth. Addison spied a package under the tree that she couldn't wait to open because she could tell that it had to be

the American Girl Doll she was dying to have. For the longest time all she was asking for was a Hula-Hoop. I thought we were going to have it easy this year. Then halfway through the month she changed her mind and decided she wanted this doll (I didn't know she knew of them and had no intention of introducing them to her). Needless to say, she upped the price of what she wanted by about 100 times--but it was worth it because she loves the doll.

Emian desperately wanted a "pupcake" maker. She was thrilled to find out she got one! Her list was actually quite long, but this is the one thing that kept being consistent. We thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas season this year and Emian is already talking about next year! Gee, I can't wait...