Our Christmas

I have to start with Christmas Eve evening.  We came home from Pauli Christmas at about 8:30 and both kids stayed awake on the way home.  We prepared the cookies and milk for Santa and the carrots for the reindeer.  The carrots for the reindeer are a little bit of a joke because last year we have a video of Elizabeth putting the carrots out and she would say "that's enough" and then add a few more.  She did this several times until the bag of carrots was gone!  This year daddy suggested that maybe we only leave a few cookies and carrots since Santa and the reindeer probably get a lot of food from other houses too!  She seemed to agree and only two carrots were set out. 

Next is daddy's traditional reading of The Night Before Christmas.

Grant really enjoyed the story! Haha - he made musical background noise!

We tucked them into bed and told them Santa wouldn't come until they feel asleep.  Then we tucked them into bed again and again!! I can't until the day they insist on sleeping by the tree to wait for Santa, like my bro and I used to do ;)  About an hour an a half later they were both sound asleep.  As Brandon and I were turning in ourselves he says, "So what do we do if she wakes up at 4 am?"  I jokingly respond, "The kids are exhausted, they will sleep until 7!"  (JINX )  5 o'clock am we hear our door knob turn, "Mommy can I see if Santa came?" Well sure, it's Christmas!  Brandon and roll out of bed, cameras in hand to capture these precious early morning Christmas moments.  We walk downstairs for her to find that Santa brought her the McDonald's Drive-Thru that she had asked for! 
 
We then got her a cup of milk and told her we were going back to bed!!  She piled in between us.  I think Brandon did manage to fall back asleep.  Elizabeth and I chatted and tossed and turned for the next two hours until Grant woke up.  Then we did it all over again with him.  Santa brought him a work bench. 

He was more interested in the drive-thru, until Elizabeth started playing with the work bench and then he decided he liked that too!!

We opened stockings and rest of the presents.  Grant is particularly fond of his new power drill that came with his work bench! Elizabeth's ornament this year was a Hello Kitty figurine and Grant's was a pretzel, to represent his love of food!  Brandon got a hamburger ornament...I couldn't find a Camaro.

Elizabeth got a new bike

Jack got a special treat that Elizabeth picked out with Pops

The kids got new Crocs

My mom took Elizabeth to the mall to do "Secret Santa" shopping.  She shopped for Brandon, me, Grant, Ima and Pops.  We all received some lovely, very thoughtful gifts. She got me matching mother/daughter bracelets.  Brandon got a Bears blimp that hangs with a suction cup.  Grant got a monkey key chain and a red monster truck.  She asked the next day if Grant ever said thank you for his key chain!! Ima and Pop's gifts are pictured below:

Pops is "Gone Fishing"

Ima has a beautiful butterfly necklace

I took a risk and made a new french toast casserole for breakfast.  It was a Pioneer Woman recipe and it turned out really good.  My parent's joined us for breakfast and had brought the kids new Harley Davidson t-shirts.

Mimi surprised the kids with outfits for the new drive-thru that she thought Santa might be bringing.  She actually made them from scratch!!

"Would you like fries with that?"

A few things that I learned from Christmas this year.  First, I really need to shower and get ready before we start the day (well that is if the kids can make it past 5 am!). Because as I get older it is becoming harder to pull off the "au natural" look!  Second, I guess I need to lay out clothes for B otherwise you get an old softball t-shirt with "I'd Hit That" in all of your xmas pictures!! Haha

The kids were able to play with their toys and take good naps before we headed over to the Schoch family Xmas.  It was nice to have the morning to just relax and enjoy!