Christmas Festivities!

Another fun holiday with our families! Christmas Eve we spent with Josh's family, as we normally do. This year we trekked over to his brother's house and mingled, had a glorious meal (he had smoked turkey that was to die for), homemade stuffing, yummy potatoes...and cherry pie to top it off! All so good. Then we opened gifts. This was the first year we drew names on his family side, which was great. We then headed back to our side of town so that we could attend evening church service at our home church. We actually haven't been to our home church in years for Christmas Eve service, so nice to have gone.

Pleasantly surprised that the boys slept Christmas morning until Nate's alarm went off! (7:30am for winter break!) Mom and Dad actually got to wake fairly refreshed ;)

Most years after we open gifts we usually go to my parents house to celebrate with my siblings, but this year I hosted Christmas at our home. It was nice not having to leave the house!

Nate was the "elf" this year - meaning he got to pick/hand out everyone's gifts

The Christmas highlight - a battery operated car to drive! Nate has already just about reached the max size for it, but I figured Aaron would at least get a few years out of it.

The adults then played games and ate dessert goodies while the kids played with their new toys.We are so blessed to have such wonderful families to spend the holidays with!

And oops...yes...I did forget to mention my birthday, which happened shortly before Christmas. Our tree was looking a little frumpy (though better than I thought it'd look after such a journey to our house) so the boys decorated it a bit better - the Christmas tree turned into the Birthday tree!

We left it the way it was ;)

Lots of birthday celebrations with friends and family. I went with all my boys to see The Nutcracker- first time we've all gone as a family.

The evening we celebrated my birthday with my parents and siblings we ordered a cool birthday cake - or I should say, a "hot chocolate mug" cake!

So yummy! Chocolate cake with raspberry cream filling.

I may or may not have finished cake leftovers the following day...as in entirely. Oops.