Christmas Morning

On Christmas morning Charlotte was the first one awake.  She quietly checked out the stockings and looked to see what Santa brought while she waited for everyone else to get up.

 Charlotte started us out by opening her pirate ship.  She has been in a pirate kick for months so I've been really excited to give this to her.

 Lily likes to open her presents on Grandpa's lap.  That is the best spot.

 Gideon's first instinct with this was to chew on its ears.

 The girls started out early sharing their toys.  You might notice that Cinderella and Belle have joined the pirate crew.

 Gideon was such a joy on Christmas morning.  Just a happy boy who made everyone around him happy.

I love watching them all play together, it makes my mommy heart happy.

I didn't take a lot of pictures, but I never do.  I prefer to just enjoy the time.  Christmas with small children is just magical!

December 24- Christmas Eve

We missed a few days with our advent calendar this year.  Between traveling and everyone getting sick there just wasn't the time or energy to get everything done.  It is really rough for my OCD nature to accept that, but such is life I suppose.

Sunday we drove down to Salt Lake and promptly everyone was sick.  We had plans to go see the lights at Temple square on Monday night, but no one felt up to it so we stayed at grandma's and took it easy.  Tuesday went the same way, we just stayed in side and relaxed.  In the evening the kids were allowed to open their Christmas Eve gifts.

 Every year they are given a new ornament.  This year Charlotte got Cinderella.

 And Lily was given Rapunzel.

 This was Gideon's first time opening gifts and he was much more interested in the paper than the presents inside.

 His ornament was a pair of porcelain baby booties.

 We also open a new Christmas story book on Christmas Eve and that is our bedtime story.  This year's book was "Olivia Helps with Christmas."

The girls loved their nightgowns last year so I made them nightgowns again this year.  Not for Gideon though, he got some pajama pants and an appliqued onesie.

 Afterwards the girls got to decorate a gingerbread house with their aunts.

Before bed Lily and Charlotte put some cookies, an orange, and some milk on a stool by the tree for Santa Clause.  They took a while to fall asleep after being sent to bed, but what else could be expected.