Finally...Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

We had our first Christmas at home since ever. We had Grandma and Grandpa as well as Steve and Tiki and their kids over for dinner and a small gift exchange. We thought long and hard about what to serve for dinner. We didn't want to do the traditional things, but we wanted to do classy. Pinterest was our best friend but I think it turned out perfectly! Steaks with your choice of gorgonzola cheese sauce or a sauteed mushroom cream sauce. Scalloped roasted potatoes and a delicious winter salad with pomegranate arils, pears and candied walnuts. Tiki brought asparagus and acorn squash and some delicious desserts.

Here is the adult and littlest people gang

Here are our older kiddos. All the kids got the little poppers that are such a tradition from my childhood.

These cute cousins watching a Christmas show together

Grandpa and Everett buddy time

Grandpa with the grandkids. Poor Vedder wasn't feeling well and is literally coughing in every picture I took.

Some snacks while waiting for dinner, or to accompany it or after, or the next day.

I love this picture of Steve and Tiki with their girls, its so cute and those sweaters are HOT!

After Stiki and kids left we opened Christmas Jammies, read our special "Teach the Children" story that reminds us of all the symbols of Christmas and how they come from the birth of Our Savior. We read "Was the Night Before Christmas" Then it was bed time. Peg and Alan stayed longer than they normally do, just to visit, which was really nice.

Christmas Day came at the same time as most other days. Vienna slept in our room, we tried it with Lincoln but was having a tough time, when they are older, we will all sleep together or they will anyway.

Peg and Alan came back early Christmas morning to be with us for gift opening and Santa knew they were going to be here because they had stockings, which was a surprise for them, which was fun for me to do. It took us quite a while to open all our gifts but it was fun! Peggy brought over Jesus' birthday cake. The white icing symbolizes His purity, the chocolate cake represents all the sins of the world he took upon himself, the red candles are the blood he shed for us, the pine branches are ever-green and steadfast as we should always try to be, then of course the star and angel. We sang Him Happy Birthday and ate cake all week.

What our tree looked like with all the gifts in place.

E was still asleep and the kids couldnt wait so I said they could go down to do stocking...

Once he got up he was all about being in his jeep

Our tree was giftless and our home was a cyclone of toys and goodies

That afternoon we took out the sweet new rides and went for a spin, it was a blast!

This is what Christmas morning looked like.

Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer and even a returned note from Santa Himself.

We were very blessed this Christmas Season and we're grateful we were able to relax and enjoy it, because the New Year brings SO many huge changes for our family and they have begun already. Exciting but exhausting.