Christmas

This was our first year doing Christmas at our house on our own. Christmas Eve morning while we were cooking in the kitchen we looked out the window and saw that it was snowing! Josh ran outside and enjoyed all 20 minutes of it and then it was gone :).

I made rice pudding and homemade raspberry sauce for a Christmas Eve tradition where you put a blanched almond in the rice pudding and whoever gets the almond gets to open up a special present. I got that going in the early afternoon so it would be done in time.

Then Josh and I made sugar cookies before his nap. After his nap we frosted and decorated them.

Brandon and Emma were on Santa Ball duty. This is another Christmas Eve tradition. Brandon tells the story like this.... some of the younger elves from the North Pole need to practice wrapping so they practice wrapping tiny presents with crepe paper and as they add more and more presents as they're wrapping it turns into a big ball and they decorated to look like Santa. Then the elves deliver these Santa Balls to really good little kids to open on Christmas Eve.

Opening the Santa Balls

Eating Rice Pudding

Brandon got the almond (first time winner!) so he got to open a present.

 Opening Christmas pjs

Reading The Night Before Christmas

Singing Christmas carols (our piano plays songs, including some Christmas songs, so Josh had fun watching the keys light up as it played).

Emma had a fever :(

One last moment enjoying the lights before bed.

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. This might have been Josh's favorite part of all of Christmas.

Opening stockings on our bed first thing in the morning. 

Christmas morning breakfast: Christmas pull-apart bread, bacon, eggs, and orange juice. Yum.

Sick runny nose fever baby :(

Enjoying the beautiful Nativity my brother got for me from Ecuador.

Present from Santa!

Opening presents was like this: Josh opened them all. Emma reached as far as she could to get in on the action but no luck.

Brandon made me magnets out of all of my Instagram photos. It was such a thoughtful gift and perfect because I LOVE looking at pictures and I really needed magnets for the fridge!

Emma wouldn't go to bed so she stayed up with us Christmas night watching The Grinch. At least she was happy!

Then she finally got tired.

It was a wonderful Christmas!