Christmas 2022

Another perfect holiday season is under wraps!  Christmas is and always will be my favorite holiday.  I love absolutely everything about it, and it just gets better year after year!

Although now it's getting harder to plan all of my festivities with these children.  Decorating used to be an all day fun filled tradition, but now Brad and I literally put the tree up, get the lights on and they finish the rest.  I'm lucky if I get 2 hours with them....

And yes, they still bitch the entire time that someone isn't pulling their weight, or someone is in their way...its amusing.  Truly.

And of course the biggest argument is who gets to put the angel on top.

Emma won.

Rachel, Emma and I went to our church's outdoor Grinch play.  It was SO good!  They put a holy spin on the Grinch and it was just perfect, can't wait to see it agian next year.  It's all done outside and they sell coffee and cider, it was cold, but a perfect night!

And yes, I still grudgingly do the elf on the shelf.  Funny enough is that the girls don't request it, I just can't quite come to terms to quit it.  Feels like their childhood is gonzo.  Sad.  In the meantime, I just complain about having to find a place for him every morning.  Oh wait, sometimes he's in the same spot for a few days...

We decided to have our family Christmas the weekend before.  My mom and her husband came out for smoked ribs and cheesy potatoes and we stuffed ourselves silly.

 

After they left, we opened gifts with the girls (and Hunter!) and then the fun began...

Rachel made a Christmas cocktail which was delicious!

And then we started playing games.  I came up with (and when i say came up with, I mean Pinterest came up with) some fun games to play that included money.  We laughed SO HARD!!

Rachel ended up winning the most money around $50, followed by Emma and poor Mousey only won a few bucks.

It was such a fun night!

Christmas Eve morning I made Alayna fried Christmas trees, which was just canned cinnamon rolls made into a tree and deep fried. Super nutritious and right up her ally!

Around 2:00 we all headed over to Barb and Darrin's like we do every year.  We eat appetizers, play the white elephant game and open gifts, it's always a great time!

Afterward we came home and chilled and watched Christmas Vacation for the last time, it's always a bittersweet night. 

I will always cherish all of these traditions we have and I can't wait to see what fun traditions my girls start!