This year we decided to start a new family tradition. We opened our presents on Christmas Eve! Since Christmas morning can get sort of hectic when you live near family we thought this would be a way to really enjoy everything more and also put more focus on the reason for Christmas and not just opening presents. So that evening after dinner we made some hot chocolate and a plate full of Christmas cookies and candy then we pulled out our book that tells us the real Christmas Story. After we were finished reading the Christmas story we let Grace open her presents.
She got a Little People farm! Our neighbor in Japan had one of these and she would play with it every time she was over there so I thought it would make a great present. I think it was her favorite thing she opened that night.
She also got Candy Land because I thought that would be something she would enjoy later. When she saw what it was she had no idea!! She kept asking us "What is it? What is it?" We told her it was a new game so then she would say "What is it? A new game!" We still haven't opened it but I know she will like it when she is a little bit older.Then we put out cookies and eggnog for Santa. Grace even wrote him a little letter!
Then it was time for bed so we could wait for Santa to come. Grace woke up early but I think she was actually just cold and wanted to be snuggled with. She was trying to go back to sleep but I would let her because I knew it was almost time for her to get up and check out her present from Santa.
{Checking to see if Santa had been here}
Santa made a big mess in our house! He left a trail of marshmallows all the way from our fireplace to the back door. And he set Grace's coat, hat, gloves, and shoes all out for her. I wonder what he could have left?
A PARK!!!
Grace enjoyed swinging for a little while before she got cold and wanted to come in. And it was still dark out and she was still tired. She got to play on it a little more that afternoon and she can climb up the ladder and go down the big slide all by herself. I was quite impressed!
We headed off to my parents house to spend Christmas morning there. My Mom always makes breakfast on Christmas morning and this was the first time in a few years that we have all been there. This was Grace's first Christmas in the US!
Grace got even more toys and had a great time. After about 3 presents she was tired of opening them and we had to work hard to get her to finally open the last one. She got a Barbie Jeep, and books, and a baby doll, and Dora blocks, and a bubblegum machine, and lots more.
One of Grace's favorite things this year has been the Nativities. We have a little one and she will line up Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and all of the Wise Men. We were doing a little after Christmas shopping at Hobby Lobby and she wanted this HUGE outdoor nativity. She kept asking me if we could go see Baby Jesus again.
And then we all headed over to my Grandpa's house to open even more presents. We made it there right at 10:30 so you can see why we had to get Grace up early that morning. Papa Bill gives us money at Thanksgiving and lets us buy our own presents and surprise him. Grace got more Dora blocks and a swing for her swing set. Papa has a hook in the ceiling of his living room that we used to swing from growing up. We hooked Grace's swing up and she got to swing until it was time to play games and eat. Her little cousin even got a turn and fell asleep!
That afternoon we headed back to our house. Grace was having too much fun to sleep so she went outside to play on her new swing set.
We headed off to my parents house to spend Christmas morning there. My Mom always makes breakfast on Christmas morning and this was the first time in a few years that we have all been there. This was Grace's first Christmas in the US!
Grace got even more toys and had a great time. After about 3 presents she was tired of opening them and we had to work hard to get her to finally open the last one. She got a Barbie Jeep, and books, and a baby doll, and Dora blocks, and a bubblegum machine, and lots more.
One of Grace's favorite things this year has been the Nativities. We have a little one and she will line up Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and all of the Wise Men. We were doing a little after Christmas shopping at Hobby Lobby and she wanted this HUGE outdoor nativity. She kept asking me if we could go see Baby Jesus again.
And then we all headed over to my Grandpa's house to open even more presents. We made it there right at 10:30 so you can see why we had to get Grace up early that morning. Papa Bill gives us money at Thanksgiving and lets us buy our own presents and surprise him. Grace got more Dora blocks and a swing for her swing set. Papa has a hook in the ceiling of his living room that we used to swing from growing up. We hooked Grace's swing up and she got to swing until it was time to play games and eat. Her little cousin even got a turn and fell asleep!
That afternoon we headed back to our house. Grace was having too much fun to sleep so she went outside to play on her new swing set.
1 comment:
What a great Christmas! I think it was the best one I've had in a long time. But - it was the first time in three years that we were all together so I'm sure that was a big part of it!
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