Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Today is Christmas--well, for us, that is. Ken has to work all of next week so today was the only day we could celebrate. But first let me tell you about our Christmas Eve. Kailyn had a sing along at her preschool. I was impressed with how well the kids learned all of the Christmas songs. That night, per Kailyn's express request, we made cookies for Santa and put out "reindeer food" for Rudolph so he could find our house (it was a mix of puffed cereal, oats and glitter Kailyn got from preschool). We also read a book "The BEST thing about Christmas," watched the Luke II video, and sang Christmas carols around the tree. Finally, we put up our stockings for Santa. It was a really fun night.

Sing-a-long at Kailyn's Preschool

Scattering the reindeer food.

Making cookies for Santa

Christmas Day

Kailyn woke up this morning at 4 am and came into our room to say she was hungry (Ken, of course, slept through it all). I told her it wasn't morning time yet, to turn off the hall light and to back go to bed. After saying she was hungry again she went to bed. (We found out the next morning that she had peeked in her stocking, too).

After a yummy breakfast we opened presents. It was so fun watching the kids open their presents. They of course loved everything! Caden's favorite was a flashlight from Grandma and Grandpa J. He would turn it on and shine it in his eyes or mouth and say "cheese." He also loved a book he got from Aunt Sandy and Uncle Dave. Ken tried to take it from him at one point (so he could open another present) and Caden let it be known that he did not like having his book taken from him. I think Jordan would have been happy with just her stocking. It was hard to get her away from her chocolate so that she could open presents. Kailyn was very excited to give me the present she made at preschool. It was a hand print in some plaster with a little poem on the back. She was so proud of it, it was very cute and precious.

So this was our first Christmas all on our own, in years past we have gone home for Christmas. It was a lot of fun starting some of our own traditions. I must admit though, it feels a bit weird not to not be around a lot of the people we love.