Christmas at our house

I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME! As a Mom there's something new and special about celebrating it with my own family, and having little kids to celebrate with. I love watching them anticipate and enjoy the family traditions, learning about about Jesus and the Nativity story, unwrapping their gifts, and even better is watching them be so excited about giving gifts. I wear myself each year with baking, decorating, traditions, and other activities. So much effort goes into trying to make it perfect for everyone, and every minute is worth it and wonderful!

Erin made a gingerbread house at preschool

Tree decorating!

Tree decorating

Elaina, putting the star at the top of the tree

Some friends invited us over to decorate gingerbread houses

The kiddos and their gingerbread houses

Kindergarten Christmas Party

Mrs. Nelson is always so great to let Erin be involved in everything that the kindergarten kids get to do when we go to visit.

Santa came to our church Christmas party!

At the church party, we were told that if we sang loudly enough, a special visitor might hear us and pop in for a visit. Elaina was excited when we started singing "Up on the Housetop" because she had been singing it at school. She belted it out at the top of her lungs, hoping that Santa would find us, and thanks to her, he did! :)

We were singing Christmas songs at the church party when we heard bells and in walked Santa Claus. The look on Erin's face was priceless: mouth open wide, both hands on her cheeks, and a look of shock that Santa had actually come to our very own party! She just sat there, motionless, looking like that, staring at Santa Claus for about a minute.

We went to Elaina's dance recital at Central Park, where all the lights are up around the park

Our tree. I've slowly bought ornaments over the years and add a little more to it each year

Christmas Eve present - new slippers!

Christmas morning!

Checking out the stockings

Nothing is better than being allowed to eat candy and chocolate first thing in the morning!

Christmas presents!

I took the kids to the dollar store so that they could buy gifts for our immediate family. Erin is thanking Elaina for the beautiful dress up shoes that she's wearing in this picture :)

This is the beautiful hat that Elaina picked out for me at the dollar store! I LOVE IT!! :)

Excited about the princess barbies she got from Aunt Heather!

The marbleworks from my parents were a huge hit...for the kids and for Mike.

Erin got a game called "Pretty Pretty Princess" where you have to collect all your jewelry and the crown to earn the title of the "pretty pretty princess" and win the game. Doesn't Mike make a beautiful princess?