Time to Hang Up the Stockings

Best intentions and all that jazz meant that I planned on doing due diligence to our Christmas celebrations with a variety of posts and photos and some touching anecdotes about time spent with family and friends.

But it's January.

And I have a backlog of Christmas photos that are now joined by New Year's photos and birthday photos and all sorts of thoughts swirling around in my brain.

So Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.

(Until next year!)

another Christmas Eve pic 

what else is in there?! 

train table (gift from Grandma and Grandpa) 

so excited! 

hanging out with Grandma 

thanks to Aunt Jessica for her "very own special little purse"!

Christmas with Grandma Pat

coloring (thanks Aunt Dana!) 

reading one of his favorite books

socks off as usual 

opening gifts

look at Laura's pretty dress! 

he didn't really get the whole opening gifts thing

Abbey, of course, was happy to help

Christmas with Friends

It's no wonder that Abbey was surprised to find out Christmas was over this year.  We were lucky enough to have several celebrations with different friends and family, which meant that "Christmas" really lasted over a week for our little ones this year.  That means a lot of pictures, so I'm breaking them up into various posts over the next week or so.

I believe I've made my love for Christmas abundantly clear, so I'll let the photos (mostly) speak for themselves.

xoxo

Brendan and Abbey

Abbey modeling her Cinderella costume from her adorable princess dress-up chest

Thanks Brendan and Lainey!

Dylan ignoring his new truck in favor of the real truck outside 

well, I did call my little piece of the internet "tiaras and trucks"

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve!  From the time of my earliest memories, we've celebrated Christmas Eve with my dad's family, and it has grown to be my favorite day of the year.  Family gathering together as twilight falls, eating shrimp cocktail and my mom's lasagna, marathon photo-taking sessions led by my Aunt Karen, all of it ending with the delicious anticipation of Christmas morning.  Family members have been unfortunately lost over the years, but the blessing of new additions brings peace and joy to the season, along with the feeling of thanks for those we love so dearly.

As my precious little family grows, we're finding our own traditions as well.  Christmas jammies opened and worn on Christmas Eve, an egg and crescent roll casserole baking in the oven Christmas morning, and I hope one day to add the reverence of midnight mass to our Christmas celebrations.

As you celebrate this season, I hope that Santa fills your stockings with those things we all hold dear - love, contentment, and the promise of a new year.