Christmas Eve, Christmas, The Day After

We had a great Christmas. Like, really great. This was really the first year Autumn "got it", so it made it more exciting than it has been in years. Christmas just isn't the same when you're a grown up! Since putting the tree up we tried really hard to get her hyped up for the Holiday. I certainly will miss being able to say, "Let's ask Santa for it instead!" when she's grabbing things off the shelves at the store...

It all started with Christmas Eve. I've taken on the job of hostess for the past 3 years now, and I love making a big Christmas feast since I don't have to do all the cooking on Thanksgiving anymore. My parents came over along with my Aunt and cousin, and we had another great meal.

While we were waiting for dinner to start, Autumn and Grandpa were playing with her new favorite toy, the iPad. I have started letting her play with it more since we found an educational game that she loves. And while not educational, she loves the Mr. Potato Head game!

After we said goodnight to everyone, we wrote out Autumn's very first Christmas letter. Her "requests" are pretty funny and I can't wait to save the letter for her to read some day. I asked her what she liked, and these were her own answers.

I helped her make her mark and we left it on the counter for Santa with some milk and cookies. She was very excited about it! After that I tucked her into bed and told her when she woke up it would be Christmas!

As I said before, Christmas was all about Autumn this year. Adam and I both got great things for each other, but we didn't go overboard. I thought we had a good little spread under the tree this year. We used to go way overboard, but I loved that this year we both picked out fun things for Autumn and were excited to see her open her gifts.

So, I know an umbrella seems really random. However, Autumn LOVES umbrellas. As soon as there is remote moisture in the air, she needs an umbrella. It's kind of her and Grandpa's thing. When I saw these small kid-friendly umbrellas at the store, I couldn't resist. She LOVES it, but it still hasn't really been a good day (meaning snow or light rain) for us to get out and use it!

Autumn loved Christmas morning. We have such fun videos of her ripping into her presents and wanting to open everything right away to play with it. She got a lot of books this year, Ponies, Barbie and everything girly!

Even our awesome neighbors contributed to our Christmas morning! A few days before Christmas they brought Autumn and Brody some wrapped gifts. The Rapunzel doll from Tangled was from them. We all love that movie!

Adam and I had a very technological Christmas. I got a new TV for the bedroom on Black Friday, and Adam got a few new accessories for my computer. A new wireless card, card reader (mine broke years ago and I've been downloading my photos by connecting my camera...), and a 32gb memory card. Golly, remember when 256mb was a huge card??

I got Adam a Nexus 7, which is a tablet like the iPad and Kindle. He really researched it and although I think it was kind of silly since we have the iPad and I'm not sure when he'd find time to use such a toy, he scored big this Christmas. He never asks for hardly anything through out the year, so Merry Christmas!

Since Brody is so little, we thought it silly to really get him much. I did find a new chew toy for him and we gave it to him Christmas morning. He was a big fan since he can grip it easily and it has so many different textures to chew on. 

Adam opened and turned on the Nexus right away. It came with Ice Age preloaded onto it, which Autumn was a fan of. She still calls it "Daddy's iPad". Close enough!

This polly pocket roller coaster was one of my Black Friday scores at Toys R Us. It was a big hit with Autumn! It even splashes water on the spectators =)

A few weeks ago my sister in law gave us a bunch of detangler since her girls no longer use it. Since then, Autumn has been big into "hair styling". She sprays tons of it in her hair or in anything with hair. She comes it and loves to make things look pretty. I knew a Barbie styling head was a MUST for Christmas. As expected, she loved it! I also found a kit with a flat iron, curling iron and even a blow drier that blows air. They were big hits!!

We departed from our usual Christmas morning breakfast of sausage egg muffins for a big country breakfast. I couldn't quite enjoy mine though, as the stylist was very insistent we keep to her schedule. We did double duty while I ate, she styled.

After we showered and had a few hours of play time with our new toys, we headed over to my parents to meet them and my sister for another Christmas morning. Autumn was very excited, because after my shower she told me she wanted to open "more presents"! She loved this laptop from my parents. She loves having something all her own!

Jodi and the boys found some great presents for Autumn. She loves everything girly. The crown was a big hit, as was her Hello Kitty purse with shower gel and lotion. All of which have been used and are now gone.

Anthony also got in on the styling game a little bit - he gave Autumn a little touch up mid-Christmas day. 

After opening presents, we were all tuckered out. Brody napped, Autumn rested and we all watched a little TV. Christmas is so exhausting!

The day after Christmas Adam had to go back to work. It snowed, and then poured all day, so it was fun to just stay inside with the kids. Autumn had lots to choose from and Brody was loving all the new chew toys and rattles he got. 

My brother and sister in law from Ohio sent us a hot chocolate kit for Christmas, and my sister in law from Maryland sent some home made marshmallows back with my parents. Really? Home made marshmallows? I can't compete with that! So, I ate them instead. They were delish! I've had hot chocolate for breakfast almost every morning since Christmas. 

So, it was a great Christmas. I just love my two kiddos and my little family. I love watching them grow and seeing the excitement and the Christmas spirit come out in them and in turn, out in me. I can't wait for next year and what other fun traditions we'll carry on.

Happy New Year!!!