Christmas Eve:
Christmas did not disappoint this year. This was by far my most FAVORITE Christmas ever. Ryan was the perfect age to enjoy the holiday. She didn't care about the opening presents and wrapping paper part but had a blast playing with her new treasures and family being around. Luckily she's not old enough to wake up at the crack of dawn to open presents. Hopefully, she will never be
that child.
Since Christmas fell on a Sunday we knew we had to get ready for church but we couldn't possibly leave without any gifts being opened. We headed downstairs so that the kids (my sister, nephew, and brother celebrated Christmas with us this year) could see what Santa left them and open up one gift.
Then it was time for church.
After church we made a stop by R's parent's house for our annual Christmas brunch and gift exchange with them. Then we headed home to finish our own Christmas....
There was a wardrobe change.
Then the fun began!
She LOVED the Dora 4-wheeler (Santa brought), we literally had to pull her off of it to eat. She LOVED the Dora table that her Poppy (my dad) got her, and she wrote her "name" (what she says when she's writing) at the table between riding the 4-wheeler. And she LOVED the Dora doll that her Gammie (my mother) bought, she kissed and hugged Dora the Explorer all. day. long. She opened the gifts that my sister and brother bought her and added the cell phone from Uncle Blake to her Olivia purse and held the DORA shirt that my sister bought her for several minutes before dropping it to return to riding her Dora 4-wheeler.
She did not open, AT ALL, any of the gifts that her daddy and I bought.
NONE of them.
It was the next day before I bribed her into opening the rest of her presents and she was done after the 2nd one of those with 3 more left. So, I took it upon myself to just save those last few gifts. I put them away for her to have for the next holiday...MLK Day?? LOL.
I guess next year I'll just let everyone else do the shopping....
No but for real, I did put some up because she had plenty and I didn't want her to be overwhelmed with STUFF. Besides, I want to start early for her to understand that Christmas is not about getting a million gifts.
With that being said I started 2 traditions of my own this year. The first was the "Jesus birthday cake"
And the second was the family pictures with my signs (which my brother and sister teased me for making BUT enjoyed taking pictures with them)
Us(The Hamptons)
 |
(Sorry honey that Evan chopped the top of your head off!)
|
Chanel and Jaiden (my sister and nephew)
Blake and Kamryn (my brother and niece)
Evan (my brother--the youngest)
And that was Christmas at my house. It was chaotic but perfect. It was the BEST Christmas ever. I love becoming the matriarch of my family. I mean, I cooked Christmas dinner and everything
all by myself. Mom and Grandma were out of town this year so we had to fend for ourselves and I must say that I did a pretty good job. We had a good time together, watching our kids play and laughing and reminiscing with each other.
I pray that we have many more Christmas' together like this one. I am truly blessed.
Oh, and while I did NOT get the new camera that I hoped for. I got something way better...
**Details coming soon**
~Natisha
