Our Best Christmas

Christmas this year was a low-key joy. Like that Gerber commercial says..."Having a baby changes everything." And it does. There's a bit less running around. There's a bit less time to do all that stuff that seems so important but really isn't (like putting the lights on the bushes out front or decorating a gingerbread house). And a bit more focus on just being together.



Connor woke up at about 6:30am with shouts of "He was here! He was here!". We made him get in bed with us and wait until 7am to go downstairs. Torture. But he killed some time opening up his GIANT sock in our room. Santa smartly hangs the sock on the upstairs railing outside Connor's room so that he doesn't have to go downstairs to the fireplace to get it and be tempted by all the goodies under the tree.


Palmer seemed to 'get it' right away and as his brother opened his gifts, he played with them immediately and was all smiles.



Connor made out like a bandit, but he earned his biggest gift--a Nintendo DSi XL by showing good behavior at home work time and not whining about it. He played Mario Kart on it yesterday, of course. But he also spent alot of time outside playing with his $20 Stomp Rocket and carried his $22 Beyblade set around the neighborhood. As night fell, we had to open up his new microscope and his MindFlex game which I'll have to post a photo of separately. It is very cool. He also got a new, bigger baseball glove for the spring season and an awesome Washington Capitals sweater that he slept in last night because.."its pretty comfortable for sleeping, mom."



Daddy got some new Tommy Bahama and Timberland shirts. A wallet and some socks. And the new Clive Cussler book, Crescent Dawn, which he has been kind of hinting about. I got a great neck massager, a new 21 quart stock pot, some kitchen knives, and a beautiful, special gift from Connor which I will also have to post separately.



We didn't have a big meal for dinner. We had a big breakfast of delicious crepes and then just picked at various appetizers and some brisket I made the day before.. We watched two movies and just hung out. Everyone was back in bed at 9pm.

The only things missing that would have made it perfect were Nana and LaLa. We missed them. Other than that, it was a great day. We hope yours was, too. God bless us everyone!