New Traditions

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are having fun preparing for the new year! I've already told Jeremy that this New Year's Eve all I want to do is sleep. Ha!

We had a great Christmas. This year, we decided to have our Christmas in our home, just the three of us, and then travel to see family the day afterward. It worked out so well. Here's what all we did:

On Friday, I took B to see Santa Claus. He cried. I cheered. Santa Claus was a complete dud. We got a picture. The end.

 On Saturday morning, we woke up and I made my family's sour dough pancakes with the special toppings. I was so nervous because it was my first time making them. But I had no reason to be. They turned out wonderful!! The recipe is a family secret and one that I am so excited to finally have in my possession!

 After breakfast, we went ice skating. It was soo much fun! They had Christmas music and cocoa and A Charlie Brown's Christmas playing. B is too small to skate, but he absolutely loved watching everyone else. We are thinking that by the time he's 3, he'll be able to join us.

That night we had the candlelight service at our church.  It was our first time being at our church on Christmas Eve. We went the earlier, more child-friendly service because of B and his schedule. It was a great service. The kids sang and did hand-bells. We sang Christmas carols, listened to a short sermon, and then lit our candles. Afterward, Jeremy commented on how blessed we are to be part of such a wonderful church. I couldn't agree more.

I am not a big fan of traditional Christmas food. However, Jeremy grew up having the traditional meal and really loves it so I decided to make him whatever he wanted on Christmas Eve. We had ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls and a salad.

After dinner, we gave B a bath, put him in his Christmas pajamas and read Twas the Night Before Christmas.

This is the book we have and we LOVE it. Megan gave it to us. I grew up on the Hallmark book with the pop-ups. It's so nice and special. Well...they don't make it anymore.  And so I'd been looking ever since Jeremy and I got married for one that was similar in artwork, color, and neat effects. Well, this book is awesome! It is soo colorful and well drawn and it has lots of cool holograms throughout it that really add to the joy of reading the story! Megan did such a great job finding this book!

Then, we made an extra large chocolate chip cookie and put some milk in Santa's mug. And it was off to bed for B.

The next morning, B woke up and got to see all of the goodies Santa left.

Honestly, Parker still had more fun than B. BUT B did really like his toys. He just didn't jump and scream/bark like Little P.  That hat he's wearing?? I started to knit that hat before B was born. I had actually gone over to a friend's house the day I went into labor for help on it. Well, I finished it Christmas Eve!! I completely screwed up the top, but now I know how to do it and plan on making him another one in which I don't mess up. :-)

This rocking chair is soo cool. It plays ABC rock songs.

 This toy is one that I really wish I would have invented. It holds an iPhone and let's your kids play apps without worrying about them deleting apps or drooling all over it and killing it or throwing it and breaking the screen. It.is.awesome!

 After we had Santa, we made beignets and put B down for his morning nap. He was off all morning and really needed to sleep. The rest of the day we took it easy and played with B.

Then, that night, we ate Chinese! I absolutely LOVE Chinese on Christmas. I promise it tastes so much better on Christmas.

B had a great time flirting with this girl in the next booth. But that's a story for another time...

And that's a look into our Christmas of three. It really was such a great two days.