Christmas fun

We had a lot of Christmas fun this year.  Christmas Eve was at our house with my family.  We had heavy Hors D'oeuvres and watched our favorite Christmas shows while we opened 1 gift a piece (which is super hard to stop at 1).  Then we baked cookies for Santa and made the magic reindeer food (oatmeal and glitter) and put it outside for the reindeer.  Christmas morning was here so we could watch the kiddos open their gifts.  Its so funny how much they have grown in a year.  Last year Ev was a baby and could have cared less about the whole thing, and this year he was opening gifts and playing with his new toys.  He was so cute he would tear 1 strip of paper off his present and give it to Don to throw away before he would tear off another strip.  Ashlynn really got into Christmas this year as well.  She could tell us what Christmas was all about (pretty good for a 3.5 year old if you ask me).  She also gave up her paci's on Christmas eve.  We made a deal that we were leaving them in a box for Santa to give to the reindeer to use.  So we boxed up the paci's and wrote Santa a letter and went to bed to wait for Santa's arrival.  She went to bed and fussed a little for her paci but since then no problems.   Anyway, in addition to her many gifts from Santa and family she was left a Dora magnet book in place of her paci's and a note from Santa and 1 from the reindeer thanking her for the paci's.  I was so excited for her to get rid of the paci's but as I boxed them up to throw away i cried and cried.  Yes I cried over Ashlynn giving up her paci's because that really solidified the fact she is not a baby anymore. 

We had another Christmas party that afternoon with Don's Uncle Bill and family.  It is always so nice to be with them.  They are very kind and loving and accepting.  They have been nothing but nice to Don (of course) but even me and the kids.  They treat me as a real part of their family and I really love feeling like I am apart of the family.  Aunt Lori cooked a nice dinner and then we opened Christmas gifts there as well.  Ashlynn and Everett are 2 very loved and very spoiled children.  I am overjoyed that Don got to spend Christmas with his Uncle and Grandparents.  While we were in Cary the absolute best Christmas present I could have EVER received arrived...SNOW.  For the 1st time since we have lived in the south I saw snow fall on Christmas day.  I love snow and not in a  its pretty kind of way.  I LOVE SNOW and if I had my way we would live in like Minnesota, Michigan, Maine, or Alaska. I never get tired or snow.  It snowed heavy throughout the night and by morning we had 11 inches of beautiful Christmas snow.  By the afternoon we had 13 inches overall and even more in the snow drifts.  The kids loved the snow even Everett this time. 

My parents had to make their way here (we were supposed to have Christmas on the 26th at their house) because their power was out.  So we made Christmas dinner here and opened even more gifts that Santa left at Nana and Papa's house.  Then we played in the snow.  My parents ended up staying the night and we stayed up playing games.  It was a lot of fun and the best Christmas ever!!!