We've had a wonderful Christmas & we hope you have too! Let's start with Christmas Eve. With all of the packages coming from all over the country, we had an abundance of delightful gifts (THANK YOU!) and boxes. So, before Santa could arrive in his sleigh, Dad & the kids crafted their own:
(Do you see this face on Elise? It's her "I can tell a flash is coming" scrunched face. As I look through all the Christmas pics, she's like that in almost all of them!)
Christmas Eve we held our annual party for all of us without family in the area. This year we did a taco night with Minute to Win It Christmas games - it was a HOOT!
While we were hauling over chairs & food from our house, Elise made a new friend. Elise just loved cuddling up with Dell & stayed there for a long time.
But she eventually decided to do some roaming & walking.
At last year's party, these two girlies were just uncomfortable bumps in their Mommy's belly - now look what big girls!
Hazel is wondering, "What's the big joke Elise?"
Such cutie pies - we might have gone a little overboard taking their pictures. : )
Gingerman Drop: trying to get a cookie from your forehead to your mouth without hands. The Ellsworths totally rocked it (Edward was done in 13 seconds!):
I did get it eventually, but it was HARD.
Jared tried too:
Baxters!
Dell & Paul were simultaneously sporting the gingerbread man eye patch, giggle:
Ottleys! (Sorry if the pic's not good Michelle - I can't see that high, I just had to reach & snap):
Our fabulous hosts (I just love Amber's tricky weasel face):
I contributed cinnabon twists to the feast, Caleb seemed to like them... a LOT. We're talking lick-the-plate a lot:
Sometime along the way, Elise turned into a pirate. Who knows why:
Another game we played was blowing Christmas cards so that they hung on the table's edge. Again, Edward totally slaughtered:
I got close a few times, but never got one to stay.
Our little family - Caleb couldn't be bothered to pose because the White Elephant kid grab-a-thon was going on.
When the party died down & we were helping the Hansens clean up & taking our chairs home, Caleb & his buddies had a pillow fight. It was really cute to watch - but note Caleb's waist & his pants:
Yep, they were sliding LOW & came completely off at one point. : )
Christmas Eve was winding down. The kids were nestled all snug in their beds, gifts from Grandparents were assembled, & us parents were dead. I sat in my room & looked at my tree, & feelings of peace came swelling over me.
Basking in the Christmas glow is such a wonderful time at Christmas. Feeling that peace, as well as the anticipation of the fun tomorrow - there's a magic in that feeling that's just as wonderful as flying reindeer & Santa magic for Caleb.
What a stash right?
Each year of our marriage we've gotten a special ornament - this year we got some pink, glittery ballet flats in honor of Elise's first Christmas with us:
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