Christmas

Happy new year!!! I thoroughly enjoyed having so much time off work for the holidays this year. I’ve had two day work weeks for the past two weeks and am going to miss all the time off come Monday.

I headed out to Leesburg a couple days before Christmas. My brother and I decided to meet up with Katie and Chris’s side of the family to watch Eleanor try ice skating for the first time. I don’t think it could have gone any better! She was hesitant at first but once she had her dad or Uncle Eric with her on the ice, she was loving it.

Christmas Eve I headed over to Eric’s parents’ house for the night. Coincidentally, they also have a tradition of having pizza for dinner the night before Christmas. Once we filled up on pizza, Eric’s niece got to open up one present before bedtime.

We watched some Thursday night football and played some games the rest of the night.

We all got to sleep and the next morning came quickly. Santa did well this year! Eric’s mom and sister had got us all matching pajamas that were too awesome to pass up.

It’s so fun to have a little one around for Christmas. Eric’s niece would just gasp at everything she opened. It was such a fun morning and really cool to see how another family celebrates.

  

I’m so grateful Eric’s family is so welcoming to me and all such great people to be around! A wonderful Christmas #1 🙂

After Christmas morning at Eric’s, I headed back to Leesburg to celebrate our “Christmas Eve”. My mom and I got busy decorating some cookies.

In the early afternoon, Katie, Chris, and the girls arrived! E and grandma got busy prepping some homemade pizzas for dinner.

Jane and Uncle E relaxed on the couch watching sports while the pizzas were cooking.

After everyone had full bellies, it was bath time for the littles.

Eleanor has taken up quite an interest in photography. She much prefers to be behind the camera than in front.

Then it was time for Shug to read The Night Before Christmas and put out milk and cookies for Santa before bed.

Santa did not disappoint – once again!

E helped pass out (and unwrap) gifts for everyone.

She absolutely loved her biggest gift this year – a kitchen just her size.

We had quite a mess to clean up after all was said and done.

Can’t clean up before getting a chance to play in the pile of wrapping paper.

Eric and I had to rock our matching jams again (they were extremely comfortable).

Everyone testing out their new toys – Eric with his drone and a new game for me! I always look forward to getting a game to play with everyone on Christmas day.

This girl is becoming very smiley these day 🙂

 

I hope you all had as wonderful a holiday season as we did. I am so incredibly grateful for the people in my life and getting a chance to spend some extra quality time with them. 2015 was one of the best years yet – welcome 2016!