We kicked off Christmas a few days before the official day with Zach's side of the family.
There was good food, fun conversations, and lots of cousin play time.
One of my favorite traditions is how the cousins like to make or buy things for each other. Staley made Olivia and Lila jewelry boxes (with Zach's help.)
Briggs made a race car out of perler beads for Cade.
And Olivia gave Adelie this little stuffed animal.
There were lots of other fun gifts. Here Adelie is posing with her new harmonica while wearing her new rubber band bracelets that Lila made her, her new accessory glasses, and her new scrunchies.
There were sleeping bags and trains and new clothes and craft activities and running accessories and underwear. Adelie gave Uma and Papa this picture she had painted at a painting class she attended with Zach and Staley. She was so proud of this painting, and I love her thoughtful and giving heart that she wanted to gift it to someone else.
And, as usual, Jill and I gave each other gifts that we also bought for ourselves. Here we are posing in our matching sweaters.
Of course, no family get together is complete without some sort of performance. (You'll notice Briggs playing with his trains in the background, oblivious to the singing and harmonica playing occurring right next to him.)
What a wonderful way to kick off our Christmas celebrations!
The kids were so excited about Christmas day that the girls had a hard time falling asleep and Briggs was up for a few hours in the middle of the night.
Since Briggs had been up for awhile in the night, we let him sleep in a little while the girls cuddled in bed with us to read books. When I finally let them wake Briggs up, we read the Christmas story together before heading downstairs for presents.
Stockings are always so much fun.
Toothbrushes, ornaments, shoelaces, scrunchies, socks...what's not to love about that??
My kids always love to make gifts for each other. Briggs made Adelie this little Ariel mermaid out of perler beads and he made Staley a perler bead basketball. This was the first year that he really made presents for others, and he worked really hard on his perler bead creations.
Adelie made this homemade train puzzle for Briggs, and she worked with Zach to make a necklace holder for Staley.
Staley made a book for Briggs titled "Radiator Briggs" about Briggs' toy cars coming to life.
Staley also worked with Zach to make a jewelry box for Adelie.
Each kid also had one gift they put at the top of their Christmas list this year. Briggs wanted this metro train set. (He calls it his L-train, like the Chicago trains that Uncle Ethan rides.)
Adelie wanted an American Girl doll that looks like her. She named her Adeline.
Staley wanted a telescope so she could look at the moon and the stars.
I love the idea of giving our kids experiences instead of things, so we also planned a week-end in St. Louis with tickets for the girls and I to go see 'Wicked' at the Fox Theater...
...while Briggs and Zach will take a ride on the Polar Express.
After gifts, we spent the rest of the morning playing with new toys...
putting together new telescopes...
eating cinnamon rolls and playing family games.
We then headed over to my parents' house in the afternoon for one last family Christmas.
There was play time with uncles.
There was reading time with Grandpa.
There was more good food, fun conversations, and play time with cousins.
And, of course, more gifts like pogo sticks, ozobots, CDs, clothes, books, American Girl clothes, jewelry, more trains, and more running accessories.
And more gifts my kids made for cousins and grandparents.
It was a long, fun, full day we had celebrating the birth of our Savior.
I am always so thankful for the blessings in my life and my family tops that list.
What a wonderful Christmas we had!!
