Picture Overload: Christmas Edition

Remembering how enjoyable our last Christmas was, we went into this year a little apprehensive about how things would go this year.  I had been much more intentional this year about trying to "de-commercialize" Christmas.  I think being one year older and having spent time each day doing advent activities and hearing the story of Christmas helped foster a bit more of a gracious spirit in our little guy this year.  That, and the fact that we told him any gift he complained about upon opening would be immediately taken away and later donated.  Yeah, that probably had something to do with the improvement in his attitude this year. ;)

We grew up choosing one gift to open on Christmas Eve.  C chose the biggest box under the tree and he was not disappointed with Nana and Papa's sea creatures.

 A little size comparison.  That stingray is HUGE!  He absolutely loves it!

My boys' stockings all ready for Christmas morning.

 Reading the Christmas story...my favorite part of Christmas morning.

The long awaited teddy bear from Grandma and Grandpa.  I may or may not have told him that he was getting one from somebody for Christmas.  The child has been wanting a "teddy bear of my very own" ever since we read a book about a boy who takes his bear on a sleepover months ago.  You can only say no so many times without a reason when he is sweetly asking you, "Mom, look at this bear.  It's perfect to be my own special teddy bear.  Don't you think so Mom?  Could we please get it Mama?  Please?"

This is the mini pillow pet shark that he told Santa he wanted.  On Christmas Eve.  Up to that point he had not asked for anything specific for Christmas.  He pretty much just said about everything he saw, "Maybe for Christmas?"  So, imagine my surprise when he told Santa exactly what he wanted.  Ack!  "Ok, we've got 30 minutes before we have to leave for the Christmas Eve service.  You take him to Starbucks for a treat and I'm going to walk around the mall and see if I can find one of those things!"  "Are you serious?"  "Yes!  I'm not going to be the mom who doesn't get the ONE thing my child asked Santa for!"  Halfway around the mall with blisters forming on my toes from my speed walking in my fancy shoes I began to wonder what I was even doing.  My kid doesn't even believe in Santa!  Ha!  Two stores away from Starbucks I ran into Bed Bath and Beyond to grab a stocking stuffer for hubby and what did I see?!  A mini pillow pet shark!"  I can't remember feeling that victorious in a long time.  And I will say, it was well worth it.

C was thrilled with his new Jessie from Grandma and Grandpa.

He hollered upstairs, "Woody!  Hey Woody!  Guess who we got?  It's Jessie!  You better get down here.  Jessie's here!  Your very own love burglar."  Haha!  I have no idea where he got that phrase.

C and the hubs spent most of the day playing their new Wii game while I prepped our Christmas feast.  We picked Alex and Bonnie up from the bus stop that afternoon and had dinner together.

Lest you think our day was completely fit free. ;)  "I thought Christmas dinner was going to be all treaty.  But, it's not, it's all vegetabley!  Excuse me, I want to cancel Christmas dinner."

The day after Christmas we busted out our instant snow.  I originally got this for my friend Brenda in Mississippi!  And when hubby went to mail it the man at the post office told him it was compressed gases and couldn't be sent in the mail.  It's not!  It's a powder that you mix with water.  I'm going to have to get some more and send it down south.

Baking our annual Christmas cookies.  I went with something easy this year since I'd already made a bunch of cut-out sugar cookies for hubby's coworkers.  I think C was a little bummed...when I showed him the picture of what we were making he was like "Those aren't Christmas cookies.  What about the snowmen?"  I'll have to go back to our old standby next year!

They turned out super tasty though, so I think they won him over.

This is exactly what it looks like.  Ha!

We had a wonderful Christmas!  It was an added bonus to have our friends in town for a few days before we headed to Memphis for New Years!  More to come on that later.