Christmas 2014

Our Christmas vacation began after I got off work at noon on Christmas Eve. The morning flew by and before we knew it, the car was packed and we were heading south to my hometown. That evening we attended the Christmas Eve candlelight service at church - which is the absolute best way to get into the Christmas spirit - followed by our traditional chicken pot pie dinner at my mom and dad's. Honestly, sometimes I think I enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.

 

 

 

Later that evening while preparing for the next day's festivities, my mom decided to get out the miniature 4 wheelers she purchased for the twins so they could charge overnight. As soon as we brought them into the living room, Taylor jumped on one and grabbed the handle bars. She quickly learned that pushing the red, square button would make the 4-wheeler go, but she never did quite grasp the concept of steering. She ran into the dogs and furniture on multiple occasions, but she absolutely loved it. I silently kicked myself for not allowing my mom to buy Taylor one once I saw how much fun she was having. We may have to scrape together our Christmas money and go out and buy one of our own!

 

 

Our Christmas day tradition begins at SEVEN a.m. every year. We get up with the sun, layer our coats over our jammies, load all the gifts into the car, and travel to my sister's house so that we can be together as a family. The kids disburse the gifts into piles while the adults chug coffee and attempt to grab a bite to eat before the madness ensues. The next couple of hours are complete chaos. Did I mention that my sister has four children? And did I mention that my mom feels the need to buy every one at least 25 presents? It's basically just wrapping paper flying through the air as kids run in and out of stacks of boxes. Only this year, there were two 4-wheelers involved. I'll let you use your imaginations on that one. All jokes aside, we had a great morning together, as usual. The kids were all elated with their gifts and the adults were happy to see the kids so excited and appreciative.

 

 

 

 

 Shortly after, we cleaned up the wrapping paper, loaded our presents back in the car, and returned to my parents' house for showers and preparation of Christmas number two. That afternoon, we headed to my grandmother's house for Christmas dinner (which is actually "lunch" to most people) followed by insane amounts of cookies, pie, and other sugary treats. Post-feast, we laid the tot down for a nap and relished in an afternoon of adult conversation. It's always nice to catch up with family that you haven't seen in a while!

We spent the next few days lounging at my parents' house and watching the kids run amok at my sister's. I must say that Taylor definitely held her own with her cousins this holiday season, refusing to share, stealing their toys, and even pulling poor little Reagan's hair out once. When she wasn't being completely rotten, the three of them played so well together. They would give each other hugs and kisses and pet each other's faces. Those moments when Taylor wasn't being her sour self, it was actually quite adorable. Although the twins are only 2 1/2, they are so gentle and patient with Taylor. I love that the three of them are close enough in age to play and grow up together. I'm certain they'll be life-long friends if Taylor can learn to be nice to Reagan for longer than five minutes.

Overall, Christmas was exactly what we needed. Our four day break was filled with relaxation, time with family, and, most importantly, lots of love. I was sad to say goodbye last Sunday, but the real world was awaiting our return. Thankfully, this week has brought another extended break as well as a visit from Jake's mom. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Now it's time to embrace 2015!