Christmas Present

Ok, ok, I know I'm really late with this post about Christmas, but I do at least need to post some pictures for my family and friends who didn't get to see the kids at the holidays. My last post about Christmas was kind of a bummer because it re-hashed my childhood Christmases which weren't the best. But since I got married to someone who loves Christmas, things have been so much better!

My best Christmas ever was the one when we were first married. I would have thought this would have been a tougher Christmas for me because my dad had just died that September. Chris and I were living in a little one bedroom apartment that overlooked a beautiful park. It was just the two of us and Sir, Chris's cat that he so graciously brought to live with us. (If you'll recall, Sir died a year ago this week and just last night we were talking about how much we still miss him. I'll always be thankful to Chris for letting me share him for 8 years.) That Christmas we would sit in the evenings with just the lights from the tree on and talk and talk. There wasn't any pressure to get a lot done, it was more about spending time together and enjoying the spirit of the season.

Needless to say, Christmas in our house now is a bit more hectic but every bit as enjoyable. Here are some pictures...

Costumes are always a big hit at Christmas and we get them really cheap after Halloween. I think the Captain American one you see Sammy in was $4. Nice!

The sleds were a big hit and the most popular gift was the Batman playset you see William playing with. Owen and Sammy have been begging for it for over a year so we had to get it for them. I got up at 4am on Black Friday to get the special one at Target that came with 3 villain action figures. William also loves playing with it. Chris got mad when I told him it was basically a dollhouse. Well it is! It's got little furniture and rooms and it folds up JUST LIKE A DOLLHOUSE!

The best part of Christmas for all of us was getting a last-minute visit from Nana and Pa, who drove in from MI on Christmas Day. The kids were so excited and they came with their "sleigh" all loaded up! We had just cleaned up from the morning's festivities and within 10 minutes of their arrival, everything was trashed again. We we so glad they were able to come out and spend that weekend with us. Being with family is always the best gift of all!