We had a great Christmas this year, nothing too crazy, just a nice time with family, friends and especially food! We went to the Christmas Eve service at Watermark with my family and enjoyed a relaxing evening at our house afterwards with my parents, Vicki and the kids. We opened our Stocking "bags!" (You have to get creative when you have little ones around that ask why the adults still get stockings from Santa, so my sister and mom sewed special bags for us to use to continue our family tradition of giving stocking gifts.) But this was our first time to open them on Christmas Eve and it worked out really well. My sad confession is that I didn't take many pictures this year of our families, we were too busy trying to wrangle Marshall and get some decent shots of him. But we did take TONS of video footage, which I will spare everyone of, but it will be fun to enjoy when he's older.
 |
| Christmas Eve with the cousins |
My sister hosted a brunch on Christmas day so we had plenty of time to enjoy all of Santa's bounty before we headed to her house, here's the goods from Santa!!! Now, I'm coming to realize that evidently Santa doesn't "display" his gifts out like this for everyone. He wraps gifts for some people, gasp! What's this about wrapping!?! The joy of Christmas morning was running out to see what Santa had brought and to play with it immediately! None of this waiting until everyone opens presents and then happen upon a Santa gift. Next year I'm going to take a pole in my facebook status to see who he wrapped for and who received the display, because this wrapping stuff is for the birds! (BTW, evidently he wrapped for my husband and Betsy...it makes me sad for them...)
 |
| The Santa spread...Maggie was obviously not startled by Santa when he came down the chimney!?! |
 |
| Like I said, more excitement in the video, but he was just taking it all in! |
 |
| Christmas morning |
We took a couple of pictures when we were opening gifts with my family, but blogger wouldn't let me rotate them so I'm sparing you from the neck strain. We had a fabulous brunch, Vicki did a great job and we even got to skype with Andy in Afghanistan a couple times. Marshall did really well with opening the gifts, he just didn't understand why we wanted him to keep going when he just wanted to play with the one he had just opened. Sweet boy!
After Marshall's nap we headed to Creighton's parents for more Christmas day celebrations. Jack made some delicious osso bucco with risotto and it was divine! I made a Mocha Mousse Torte for dessert that was so yummy, I still think about it now and how I should make it more often! I'm all about non-traditional food on holidays so dinner was perfect! While opening presents, the craziness of the day finally set in and Marshall was in rare form...time for bed. It was a beautiful day with family to celebrate a beautiful baby...our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
 |
| Sitting on Thomas, a fabulous chest that holds a train set! Thanks Grandpa & Grandma! |
 |
| Reading Ranger Rick with Gigi |
