Christmas 2018

My favorite part of the days leading up to Christmas is the Christmas program at church. It was held the day before Christmas Eve this year and as they usually do, the Christmas songs filled the room with the spirit and reminded all of us about the true meaning of the Christmas season. We listened to messages about the anticipation and story of the Savior's birth and celebrated him. One thing I loved about this Christmas in particular was how much Liam understood the meaning of it all. He could help recite the story of Jesus' birth and while he had a hard time with going up to the front of the chapel and singing with the other primary kids, he bravely went up there anyway and wanted so badly to be a part of it. I sure love these two little Christmas angels of mine!

On Christmas Eve morning, we found Banana hanging upside down on the tree. ;) Right next to my new favorite ornament that Liam made for us at preschool this year, him playing in the snow!

Our festive fruit candy canes and reindeer toast for breakfast ...

We spent most of Christmas Eve at my mom's house. I loved watching these two ... she'd grab book after book, climb into his lap, and only sit long enough for one page per book. He is the best uncle!

Making himself comfortable while watching the movie Jack Frost ...

Lyla was killing us all with her dance moves! She pulled this game box over to a chair, climbed on top, and started shaking her booty! haha

Liam was disappointed we had to leave for nap time so we let him open his Christmas Eve present early in the day ... our tradition is typically to get a new pair of pajamas and a book on Christmas Eve but the kids already got their Christmas pajamas earlier in the month so they could wear them even longer. I had to share the sequence of these next 3 pictures together because it was hilarious watching his expressions unfold ... Liam asked Santa for super hero legos for Christmas so when he opened this series of super hero lego books he was so excited at first because he thought from the back of the box that they were actually legos, then when he flipped them over and found out they were books his face dropped. haha So sad! When we showed him that they came with this cool head lamp though he was perfectly fine!

The book Ya Ya got ... it is the cutest story!

After nap time, back to Sita's we went ...

Couldn't forget the annual baby in a mug picture! ;)

My mom made a yummy ham and twice baked potato Christmas Eve dinner and after wards gave each one of the kids a gift to open from her .... Lyla girl got these adorable Christmas finger puppets!

and Liam got a fun game called Pop-Up Pirate he played one day at a local toy store and loved!

Lots of trips back and forth in the car between home and grandparents' houses! 

That night we made sure to sprinkle Liam's reindeer food he made at preschool on our back patio and set out Santa's cookies and milk! We all read The Night Before Christmas together and while the anticipation for the next morning hung in the air, both kids were exhausted and asleep within minutes. Mom and dad watched Christmas Vacation and then headed to bed too!

There is nothing better than the magic of Christmas morning! Our first Christmas in our new home ... there was something so special about having a staircase this year to walk down to find what Santa left. Liam's gasp said it all!

We were lucky he slept in until 7! He was still up an hour earlier than Lyla though so we let him open one of his gifts from Santa, just what he wanted, SUPER HERO LEGOS and then him and Nic built it together while I made a quick snack for everyone.

This was everything I wanted for Christmas right here ...

Another favorite from this Christmas was seeing them gift a present to one another. Liam picked this puppy for Lyla that she absolutely adores, he even helped wrap it for her and covered the top in stickers and wrote his own name on the tag! So cute! Lyla got him a transforming Paw Patrol that he wanted and loves.

Nic taught Liam the joys of how to crack open a chocolate Christmas orange at the bottom of his stocking!

Trying on daddy's new hat ...

Liam flew through presents this year (haha) so after they were all opened we went over to my dad and Edie's house for brunch. Aren't these the cutest cousins?! The best part, next year there will be one more in the mix!

Cute nieces and nephews opening their stockings from grandma and pa and their secret Santa gifts from each other ...

CAAAANNNDDDDYYY!!!

My brother reading aloud a hilarious card from my niece who provided him with all the wise advice he'll ever need in life! ;) 

Sitting on Santa, I mean Pa's lap!

I love capturing reactions to opening gifts and this one was no exception ...

That's going to look REAL NICE on the mantle, Clark! haha 

My dad and Edie made literally the most elaborate amazing brunch in the world ... it had everything you can imagine/think of ... eggs benedict, multiple types of quiches, breakfast bakes, cinnamon rolls, fruit, banana bread, prime rib, etc. We did not leave hungry that's for sure! 

On Christmas night, my mom and brother came over for dinner and we opened gifts from each other. We were all spoiled this Christmas and felt so blessed to be able to spend it together! 

We missed our Pocatello family and a white Christmas we often had living there but thank goodness for Marco Polo and phone calls. Until next year! XO

December

Every week(end) in December was jam packed with so many fun things! That is definitely one of my favorite parts about the holiday season! Starting with decking the halls ...

Technically we decorated for Christmas in the month of November but I haven't had a chance to share a few fun pictures from it yet. Liam climbed in the empty tree bag and Lyla followed in after, they thought it was the funniest thing and were both giggling away!

 Lyla in those fairy wings!!!

Kisses from daddy under the mistletoe ... Hey, where's mine, Nic Williamson?! ;)

This was our scene the entire month of December ... Christmas movie marathons of all of our favorites, a Christmas tree sparse on the bottom from the constant arranging of all the ornaments courtesy of two small children (haha), and matching family stockings by the chimney fireplace with care. :) I already miss it and wanted to keep it up for the rest of time!

Early in the month Nic and I could have sworn we heard a loud sound on our porch one morning and found this guy plugged in there. Our new neighborhood started a fun tradition of the "attack of the toy soldier". He came with a note on the front that said he was only allowed to stay at our house for 48 hours before he needed to be relocated to another neighbor's house so he didn't get inside! Liam was so bummed we didn't get to keep it. haha Anyway, we promptly relocated him to a home that didn't have any lights and he hopped back and forth between their house and someone elses for the rest of the month of December and didn't make it very far. haha Maybe the starter of this tradition will have better luck with it next year because it is a cute idea! The goal was to not end up with the toy solider at your house on Christmas day.

Lyla's favorite game lately ... dump out all of the toys in the wagon and stand in it, rocking back and forth. NO FEAR!

One weekend we hosted an early birthday party for my dad and a gingerbread house decorating contest at the same time. The kids ate more candy than they actually put on the houses and the adults sure had fun getting creative. When they were all decorated we numbered each one and sent pictures to my brother to judge with his friends. The two who had no kid involvement on their house won. ;) It really was a fun annual tradition to start! and Happy Birthday to Pa!

Proof of all the candy eating going on ... even Lyla woke up from her nap and joined in on that part! haha

When the kids got bored they played together in our play room under the stairs ...

Their faces! haha

Our family's gingerbread house. It was Liam's idea to make a Santa and put him on the roof. ;)

From a date Nic and I went on during the month of December ... we were wandering Anthropologie and he found a female scarf to try on. Always keeping me laughing!

I finally did it. I caved and started the elf on the shelf tradition this year. The truth is, we were gifted this elf a couple of Christmas's ago and I've been hesitant to put him out. The first Christmas was because Liam was still a little young yet to understand the concept and not want to be touching/holding the elf. Then last Christmas I just felt overwhelmed with everything that comes with the season and it just felt like one more thing to add to my plate. I would feel terrible if I forgot to do my part each night. This year Liam's friends kept talking to him about all the fun and silly things their elves were doing at their houses and he brought it up to me ... "Mommy, why don't we have an elf at our house?" Thinking quickly on my feet, "Oh, I think maybe he just hasn't made it to our house yet." and a few days later he found his way in the magical North Pole mailbox. Liam named him Banana and already can't wait for him to come back again next year!

We baked cookies for friends and neighbors the weekend before Christmas and it was hilarious watching Liam decorate each cookie. "Mommy, daddy, this one is for Jesus!" (dumps an entire bottle of sprinkles on top and then covers up that with a hundred red hots). We were dying!!

See, no cookie even visible underneath all of those sprinkles ... haha

I love the way he purses his lips when he is really focused.

The cookie of the year, Santa in a crop top!

The month of December went way too fast but we made so many fun memories together and it is one I'll never forget! XO