four Christmases

This year we had four Christmases. Yes, it was fun, yes, it was exhausting, and yes, we are all still trying to recover from them!!

Our first "Christmas" was just the four of us. Since Daddy was working nights during Christmas week we decided to celebrate a few days early, before he went back to work. Santa always makes a special trip for the kids even when we have to celebrate early with Daddy.

So five nights before the big guy actually comes, the kids left out cookies and milk for his "special" stop.



Can you see the excitement on their faces? Bekah kept "testing" the milk to make sure it was okay :) Silly girl. The next morning Gavin was so excited to see that Santa had left a partially eaten cookie. Apparently Bekah was excited too, but for a different reason. When she thought nobody was looking she ate the rest of the left over cookie!


Christmas Eve, the actual Christmas Eve, was a very big day for us. For me, actually. It was the very first time in the 34 years of my life, that I spent Christmas with my Dad. I sure was missing out :)

My Dad's side of the family is huge! Gigantic!! There were over 40 adults and teenagers there and probably about 20-30 kids. We all had a great time and didn't get home until 1:30 am!! Crazy, I know!






Christmas day we spent with my mom's side of the family. It was definitely more low key than Christmas Eve!! And it was very different not having Papa with us to celebrate. He was extremely missed and I know that he was looking down at us from Heaven.

Today we spent the afternoon with my mother in law and opened presents and ate pizza. It was a nice, quiet get together and the kids had fun opening another round of gifts.

Although we had a wonderful Christmas, er Christmases, I am so glad that it's over. Time to take the decorations down for another year. Time to clean the house after the holiday bomb. Time to get ready for a fresh start to a new year!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!