Christmas 2015

Remember when you were a kid and Christmas was just the most exciting day EVER? Evie asked me every day for about two months if tomorrow was Christmas. And while we teach the true meaning and try to instill that "reason for the season", the girls were mostly excited about all the new toys they would be getting. I remember being the same way. I remember waking up ridiculously early and waiting until 6am when my sister and I were allowed to wake up my parents. I remember opening presents and then going over to my grandmother's house and playing with my cousins. It was just a fun day.

Somewhere along the way I grew up. Christmas stopped being about the presents. It became about family. And now that we have kids, it's about them. When I woke yesterday morning and rested a hand on my belly to feel our unborn daughter moving, I was reminded that next year she will have a stocking full of goodies and a few gifts under the tree. She will join her big sisters in wonder at the lights and festivities of Christmas. But this year I enjoyed feeling her kick as she listened to all this going on around her. She is so loved.

On Christmas Eve Jordan and I were able to go on our first date since January. January, people. That's 11 1/2 months. 

Nothing makes a pregnant woman happier than Star Wars and a giant bucket of popcorn.

We saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and I greatly enjoyed sporting my Star Wars maternity shirt. My sister was gracious enough to take on our three kiddos, and even braved a few temper tantrums from Emiliana, who is in the middle of those "terrible twos" we always heard about but never really had to deal with until Em turned 2.

That night we took the girls to a house a few miles from us that has lights coordinated to music. It was a huge hit. Emmy was in toddler heaven and kept saying "Missmiss. Yights." and pointing in excitement. It's been a ridiculously warm Christmas, so we got out of the van and walked around in our t-shirts to get a better look at all that was going on. We didn't get home until well past the girls' bedtimes, so they were very ready to go to bed.

I wrapped a last, lone gift and stuffed the stockings, and after prepping the turkey for Christmas lunch Jordan and I went to bed, too.

Emiliana was up at her normal time and went right for the stick unicorn we got her. That could have been the only thing we bought her, she was thrilled.

Evie and Catherine got up around 7, and that is when the chaos began. They are old pros at this Christmas thing and ripped into their presents with gusto. Emmy opened up a dump truck on Jordan's lap and just sat there for a long time watching her sisters tear into stuff for a while before she braved the sea of wrapping paper and opened the rest of her gifts.

Evie and Emmy playing with their Snoopies and Woodstock

Evie with her stocking Snoopy and the dancing Snoopy she asked and asked for

 The Snoopies have a fun story. I got the whole thing on video, and I'm so glad. But Evie had been asking for this dancing Snoopy since she saw it on a commercial a couple months ago. It went on sale at Target in November so I grabbed her one, along with some Peanuts plushies to put in their stockings. Evie talked about the dancing Snoopy all the time, and I told her she would just have to wait to see if she got it for Christmas. When she saw the small Snoopy in her stocking she thought I had gotten her the wrong one. But she was so good about it! She thanked me and hugged him and said that it was okay that I got her the wrong one. I played along and apologized. She was THRILLED when two presents later she opened up that dancing Snoopy. Jordan got all the credit for it, though. Evie was all "Silly Mommy didn't know what I was talking about so Daddy bought me the right one." It was pretty funny.

Once the turkey had finished cooking we packed up the kids and headed to my parents' house for lunch and a few more presents.

Abby, Mom, Evie, and Snoopy

This was taken after I apparently pointed the camera directly up my nose and gave them a nice view of my nostrils. 

Catherine doctoring her Lambie from Pappy and MomMom

It was a good Christmas. We didn't do much running around and we were able to just enjoy being together and being a family. Here's to many more happy Christmases!