Christmas 2014

Christmas this year was an experience, to say the least! It was filled with family, food, and fun. It was also filled with sickness and an angry baby, but we will get to that...

The week started off with Mike being off of work, lucky guy. I worked Monday and half of Tuesday, and finally we both were on our nice long weekend. We baked some cookies, played with our adorable little man, and prepped the good stuff for the following day (read: lots of gift wrapping and some food making).

On Christmas Eve, we headed over to Mike's parents, where we enjoyed some appetizers and played games. And opened presents, obviously. I am really blessed with some great in-laws, and it is always great to spend time with them.

could he be more handsome!?

grandma snuggles

matching hats for the boys.

daddy and me posing (daddy loves to rock the hat mom made him, by the way!)

the boys.

intriguing conversations with uncle jeffy!

 As the night carried on, our little man decided he was over the noise and commotion. I have been to Christmas Eve service every year of my life, but we decided our little guy (and us and our 8pm bedtime) just wouldn't make the 10pm service this year. Good call, because sure enough, around 8:00 Jackson was done. Pack 'er up, time to go. It really is amazing, the way a baby can dictate every second of your day!

Christmas morning we were up at the crack of dawn; actually before, the short days combined with Jackson's 5am parties means a good chunk of the mornings are spent in the dark.

Merry Christmas..I think?

 

 Santa came with a few gifts, but we postponed opening a bit because someone crashed for a nap pretty early. 7:30am naps are normal, right? Of course, I might pass out right there in my jumparoo after all of that bouncing, too.

Once prince charming woke up we opened our gifts/stockings, I whipped up some muffins for breakfast, and we just relaxed. And then..it hit me *cue Jaws music* a stuffy nose/sore throat/fever. I had a fever, and I NEVER get fevers. (ok, it was like 99.8, but this girl is a reliable 98.7, 99% of the time). So I chugged some Dayquil, disguised my red nose with some makeup, and we headed over to my parents.

casually posing under the tree.

 gift time with mama

classic face.

me and my ninja turtle gear.

 

side parts for everyone!

grandma and her favorite person

Gift opening. Food. Hot buttered rum. Good day.

I got my dad some moose mugs like those on Christmas Vacation. I think I nailed it.

Sissy enthusiastically asking me if I made this. Not going to lie, I wanted to keep the scarf I made her.

Andddd all the kids chipped in and got mom her KitchenAid mixer she has been talking about getting for a year. win.

We finished the night off with our annual seafood dinner, doing it for the first time on Christmas night. It is one of my favorite traditions!

On Saturday, we went to Mike's other side's Christmas, where Jackson once again decided he wasn't down for the party. We were in and out in about two hours, at which point we brought our cranky baby home, where he instantly smiled as if he knew what he had done. Our child, indeed. Couldn't love him more.

The rest of the weekend, I was nice and sick. My little man was there to provide lots of snuggles and share some naps with me, until he inevitably came down with the same funk on Sunday in combination with teething. Poor baby boy.

chilling in my new ride from grandma and grandpa

sleepy boy

anddd more naps..

sick cuddles

just sleeping the day away!

Overall, Christmas was busy, hectic, stressful, and wonderful. I am always sad to see it end, but am also already giddy thinking about how next year we will have a little boy who is excited by the holiday and will open his own presents. In the words of my husband (and Gloria Estefan), we want to see Christmas through your eyes, Smiley!