We are so fortunate to have an abundance of family who live close by. And remarkably, all of their Christmas celebrations coordinate quite nicely and we’ve never had any conflict. Josh & I were amazed when we first started dating at how well we were able to harmonize our favorite traditions without making any major sacrifices! For that reason, my girls get to celebrate almost every day for an entire week. We try hard not to spoil them, but that’s almost impossible when you have so many people to love.
First up was a box full of treats from our Aunt Lane in Kentucky. We usually save these gifts for after Christmas, but I decided to kick the week off on Sunday night with a pajama party in their room. Not only did she send them all of these wrapped gifts, but they got some pretty new clothes, too.
One of my favorite things that Lane sends is collectible Christmas ornaments. We have so many Disney ornaments that we love and the girls will have an abundance of ornaments to take with them with they grow up one day! Picking ornaments out of my mom’s stash before I moved out is still one of my favorite memories ever.
On the Monday before Christmas, we decided to visit the Birmingham Zoo for Zoolight Safari. We had been for their Halloween light show, but had never gotten to go at Christmas. Josh had to work late on Monday night, so my parents brought the girls downtown to meet me after work, along with Kamin, Cory and Hudson. It had rained all day (which kept most people at home) and although the ground was wet, we never felt more than a sprinkle while we were there. We were the first family through the gate and never even waited in line to ride the rides.
On Christmas Eve, we usually celebrate with Josh’s parents by eating lunch at their house and opening gifts. Since my niece has to be back in Chattanooga before the Big Guy makes his deliveries, we are always a little rushed. This year we decided to do breakfast together instead and it was PERFECT. I let the girls wear their pajamas and we enjoyed a yummy brunch before opening gifts.
Nana is a pretty fabulous gift giver and this year was no exception. Ella got the entire set of Boxcar Children books and Sophie got some wonderful art supplies. They also got pink Minnetonka boots and as always, tickets to the circus later this month!
Josh has been begging for critter pants, so his mom came through with these beauties. If only they had come through for us on Thursday night! Roll Tide, anyway.
We always joke that out of every gift that they get on Christmas Eve, the bubble bath is always their favorite. Nana mentioned not buying it this year because their stockings were smaller and Ella almost had a coronary. Instead, they were in a gift bag under the tree and she got smiles all around when they were opened.
Our last celebration of the year was with my parents the day after Christmas. It was brunch again, only this time we had french toast, pancakes and coffee. My kids are addicted to maple syrup so there were no complaints about the selection of breakfast foods.
The kids were so eager for gifts that they didn’t even eat until every gift had been opened! These three were so much fun to watch together. I love seeing Hudson get older and relate better with the girls. He’s starting to talk so well and is into everything. The girls love helping him with all the things and he loves them crazy big.
We had such an amazing Christmas celebration this year and I can’t believe it’s all over?! The anticipation seems to last forever and then in the blink of an eye it’s time to head back to work and school! I am so thankful to have been home with them for the last two weeks, even though we didn’t do much of anything. Just being lazy together and playing with all of their gifts and toys was so much fun. I don’t think I am cut out to be a stay at home mom full time, but I look forward to the weeks surrounding the holidays when I get to pretend. I’m pretty great at it for a few days at a time. Ha!
Kristin is married to her high-school sweetheart and the mother to two daughters. Professional by day and creative by night, she is a family lifestyle blogger who writes about faith, family, and fitting it all into a busy schedule. At Taz + Belly, you’ll find healthy recipes, children’s party ideas, tutorials, DIY projects, and more. Click Here to Read More About Kristin
