Christmas Fun

Merry Christmas! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday this week and are recovered from all the festivities. I told Dave I think it will take a month to get our house back in order, gifts away and get life back to "normal". We had a great Christmas and the kids had a ball...gifts, cookies, staying up late...they loved it all! It was a busy week but filled with lots of family time. Christmas Eve was spent at my mom's. Christmas Day we were home to open gifts with the kids and then went back to my mom's for Christmas Day. We had dinner, opened gifts, played games and just relaxed. It was great. Here is a peak into our festivites...

This is Christmas Eve at my mom's house.

When I was a kid, it was a tradition to take a picture at the top of the stairs before you could come down and open presents. I have carried on this tradition. But it's weird though because I realized that it doesn't have the same affect in our new house. The boys are upstairs and we are downstairs so they have to walk past all the presents to wake us up. Yet, I still had to take the picture for tradition's sake, right?

Daddy reading the Christmas story to the boys before we open the gifts. Another tradition carried on from our family. We don't want the kids to lose sight of why we celebrate and open gifts. Although, we will keep working on this because so far Caleb thinks that Jesus brings the gifts. While Dave read the story, Josiah wasn't letting go of this present for anything!

Josiah wasn't into opening gifts as much as Caleb so Daddy had to help him with his stocking. He would find one thing and stick to that and ignore the other gifts. I'm sure next year will be a whole different story.

For 3 months, Caleb has been asking for a tow truck. We were so excited to give it to him. When he opened it, he said "I've been looking for this". We don't know if he meant for his whole life or in his pile of gifts...either way, he was very excited! And we were just as excited to see the expression on his face. Now I understand why my mom and dad were always so excited for Christmas morning too.

Hannah just took in the whole Christmas scene and of course, Caleb offered to help open her gifts for her.

Caleb and Josiah playing with their light up toys. I just love their matching PJ's. We gave them to them on Christmas Eve. Yes Uncle Joey, I do love their matching PJ's.

Another tradition...my sister and I used to always bring cookies to our fire station on Christmas since the firemen had to be without family on Christmas Day. I wanted to start this tradition with the boys. So we brought them a plate of cookies and they invited the boys in, gave them hats and took them on a tour of the fire station and trucks. It was so cool for them. The station even got a call while we were there and the boys got to see them take off with their sirens and all.

Captain Caleb in control. The truck was HUGE compared to our little man. Josiah wasn't interested in sitting in it.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to Caleb about what Christmas really meant and why we celebrate and give gifts. He grasped the concept that it was Jesus' birthday so at the end of the conversation, he decided that Jesus needed a birthday cake. I suppose to a 3 year old, what's a birthday without cake!!! So, we made one Christmas Day at my mom's house. We sang "Happy Birthday" and everything. (Apparently, Jesus' favorite is chocolate just like Caleb.)

Caleb was pretty proud of his cake.

Ahhhh...at the end of a long Christmas Day. Ann-Marie, thanks for cuddling with Hannah.


Caleb got this pretty cool fire truck from Nonna and Pappy. It is remote controlled, makes noises, the ladder raises and yes, it EVEN SQUIRTS WATER! Check this thing out!