Christmas 2013

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. I remember the excitement that I used to feel on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa's arrival and trying to fall asleep and I must admit, I feel the same excitement now as a parent.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve dinner here at our house with my mother-in-law. I made my families homemade spaghetti sauce and homemade meatballs which I must say were pretty darn good. I served it with a side salad and garlic bread using my good china. I only use my china once a year and it's on Christmas Eve and this year I was even brave enough to allow the girls to use it as well.

Christmas Eve dinner.

After our dinner we allow the girls to open our present to them. We buy them each a new pair of pajamas that I had just washed and dried that morning so that they were nice and fresh. We also allowed them to open two other presents that family had sent or left for them. My aunt Robin made Addison the cutest little cape and bought Cadence a ballerina outfit.

Sporting their new pajamas.

Opening up a present from their daddy. A big map so they can see where he is when he is out of town.

 Last year I started the tradition of writing Santa a letter before the girls head off to bed and we continued with it this year. The girls were so anxious to set out his cookies and milk that we did it quite early this year.

Letter to Santa with Addie wearing her new cape.

 Once we finally got them settled in bed it was operation wrap the presents...that is until I ran out of tape about three presents in. I used some leftover ostomy tape from when I had my ileostomy but it didn't hold very well so I gave up and quite a few presents were left unwrapped. I bought a pack of four rolls after Christmas so I should be set for at least another Christmas or two...lol.

My wrapping station on the dining room table.

I wasn't looking forward to wrapping the dollhouse and clothes anyway.

 I wish I would have videotaped their expressions as they were coming down the stairs and seeing their presents for the first time. They were so excited and were tickled pink that Santa had brought them their dollhouse. Cadence squealed with delight each time she opened a present and they got so many awesome things they didn't know what to do with themselves.

The kid won't keep pajamas on over night but yet she won't go to bed without them on.

They went straight to their dollhouse.

Opening up her new Baby Alive. We went through a lot of diapers that morning.

Addie and her Baby Alive.

 Aunt Heather came over shortly after we finished opening our presents and she spent quite a bit of time playing dollhouse and playing their new games. The four of us ladies got down amd dirty with Hungry, Hungry, Hippos while Daniel cooked us up a big breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage links, and fried eggs. You know it's a holiday when we have two breakfast meats at the same time.

A little dollhouse play before breakfast.

Me and my babies. They had been trying out their new make-up beforehand.

Most years we are up and rushing around getting ready to be at my mother-in-laws by noon to begin our family visits. This year my dad's side of the family decided to hold our Christmas celebration a few days later so that we could accommodate my sister being out of town. This meant that this year we could have breakfast and enjoy ourselves and it was heavenly.

We made our way to my mother-in-laws around 12:30 or so and we got to open even more presents and have a lunch of taco's. My brother-in-law is dating a new special lady and she has a little girl about a year older than Addison. The girls love having another person to play with while we are there.

Mamaws tree.

Both girls are really into Barbie right now.

My baby opening her new art easel.

Our family photo.

Addison and Lilly.

After our stop there we traveled to my step-dads side of the family. This is only the second time in my life that I've been able to spend time with his family and while I didn't get any pictures it was nice to sit around and visit with my other siblings and extended family. I did get one instragram photo and it was of me and my new nephew, Kai. He's a black miniature schnauzer. My brother and his new wife, Jessica, adopted the little fellow for Christmas and I fell madly in love with him. We had a miniature schnauzer that looked just like him growing up and we all adored him and now we have another one to love. I would post the picture but it doesn't want to download correctly so I'm over it.

After an almost panic attack on the way home we arrived safely at home where we all got into our jammies and played with more toys. Thanks to my Crohns disease I have a fear of being stuck in traffic on the highway and needing to use the restroom. When we left my grandparents I knew a bathroom visit was not far off and wouldn't you know, we hit traffic and came to a crawl driving through downtown Dayton. I survived thanks to some breathing techniques but it took a few to get the blood flowing back through my hands properly because I had been clenching my fists so tight...lol.

To be continue...