Christmas...Here and Gone

There is nothing better than a baby's first Christmas!

We started the festivities Wednesday when we went walking around our neighborhood looking at lights. On Christmas Eve, we met up with Joseph, Sadie and their kids at the park for operation "exhaust the kiddos," which worked out beautifully!

By 5 o'clock Christmas Eve, our kids had eaten dinner, taken baths, put their special Christmas jammies on, set up Santa's plate with cookies and were ready to pour the milk, and they wanted Sy to read the story and go to bed. Fortunately for us, we held them off for a bit by watching Polar Express (Excellent movie!).

They were up by 4:30 and came in to get us...where we barely looked at them with one eye open and asked if they wanted to snuggle for a bit. Sy and Nolan fell back asleep within minutes. Emmett, on the other hand, could not stop shaking in excitement while laying in bed with us. At one point he even started crying exclaiming, "I feel like we are not going to get to open presents!" We gave in at 7 and off we went to see what Santa had left.

Reading the story, "Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Pouring Santa's Milk

Patiently waiting while daddy made sure Santa came (i.e. made the coffee)

Before the tornado...


That's right....Santa brought Nolan a drumset!


And Weapons...

And Emmett weapons as well...

(There are a lot of military battles in this house)

and a BMX racing helmet for his bike.

And Jackson got an activity table, which he LOVES!

Then it was off to Grandpa and Grandma Allen's house for more presents (can you believe it)

an amazing dinner, and great company!

He had a wonderful first christmas!

We are taking that as a "Thank you!"