Christmas Day!

Santa surely made his presence and found us at our new location this year. Emma's #1 item from Santa was an Easy Bake Oven and Hannah's #1 was a Jake and the Neverland Pirate Ship (because there's a girl pirate too, she says!). She is a trip.

Their other big desired item from Santa was Doc McStuffins - which happened to be the #1 toy of the Christmas season.

even Lilly had a pile!

Emma's side

Hannah's side

the things to enjoy together

We still had to wake the girls up this year - around 8:00. Of course it wasn't hard at all getting them out of bed. I know one day I will certainly appreciate these days instead of getting up in the wee hours of the morning. They were full of excitement as they walked in and looked around. They also got several surprises - a vet/grooming center, a camper and loghouse cabin to go with their dollhouses, DVD's, Peppa Pig accessories, leap pad games, new leap pad bags, Brave characters and more.

opening stockings

E and her Easy Bake Oven!

H and her Jake/Pirate Leap Pad Game

Emma was very surprised with her Tom and Jerry animals - she loves Tom and Jerry cartoons

there's Lilly enjoying the fun!

H and her pirate ship!

My mom stopped by for some Christmas breakfast and we quickly had to alter lunch plans to my uncle's house since my dad was still so sick. I had to pack for Raleigh - the girls wanted to take EVERYTHING with them but I limited them to one bag each since we would be accumulating more and more presents through the day. 

We had lunch at Buster and Annette's, quickly exchanged all presents and polyannas, talked for just a bit and then we hit the road to Raleigh.

Kelly and Whitney

Bo and his joke present

Bo also got Tarheel PopTarts

Hannah and her food from Aunt Connie

Emma and her play food from Aunt Connie

my lovely bacon scented chapstick from Dawn

Whitney loved her slippers

I had Dawn's name and gave her a small Origami Owl locket and Bo had Sarah's name so he got her one too - Origami Owl all around this Christmas

Hannah and Annette

Bo and the kiddos

one and only family picture on Christmas folks

Mammie and Hannah

Buster and the girls

Mammie with Emma, hannah and Andy

mom and the kids - dad was sick again all day

The girls some some new play food from aunt Connie, outfits from Buster and Annette and Madame Alexander dolls from Mammie. The cousins were really into playing jokes this year with our polyannas - Brandon had Bo's name and at first gave him a yard sale ugly as can be Carolina jacket and then his real present was some Polo lounge pants. Dawn gave me some disgusting bacon scented chapstick - the whole fam knows how much I cannot stand the smell of bacon and how on family vacations I hate being woken up to that horrid stench. Thanks Dawn - really. But, then she gave me a lovely Limited sweater so it was ok. Mammie gave me my favorite perfume and Bo some t-shirts.

We got to Raleigh around 4:15, opened more presents, ate some dinner and then chilled for the night.
Bo's parents gave the girls Disney princess boots from Stride Rite, Lala Loopsy characters, spring outfits from Gymboree, Olivia leap pad game for Hannah, Tinkerbell leap pad game for Emma, Miss Lina Ballerina books, a painting/dot set, and Brave princess dolls.

Mary, Britt Gibby and Owen gave Emma a Lala Loopsy game, Hannah a Princess Yachtzee game and some cute shirts.

I got new wall decorations for the kitchen, a ribbon board, sweater from Banana, and a Christmas decoration for next year. Bo got a new book, 2 Joseph Bank shirts, Mens Health subscription, Lowes Gift card, grill spatula/brush and grill frying pan.

money roll from Mamaw

It was a very nice Christmas! Of course the most important thing to me is knowing the true meaning of Christmas and spending time with the people we love. I gave my girls lots of extra squeezes and I just hope they know how much they are loved by so many people. We have the best families and are so thankful to be able to see everyone we love so much on such a very special day.

Christmas Eve!!

Christmas Eve is usually spent with my dad's family. This of course was the first Christmas without my Granny, which was very different. We just had Robbie, April and Adair at mom and dad's for lunch and gift exchange. Dad was so sick. He stayed in bed the entire time with a fever, so I do not have one picture of my father from Christmas this year. :(

Robbie, April and Adair gave the girls Tangled dolls, me a sweater and Bo a gift card. Mom and dad gave all the kids Pottery Barn sleeping bags and they LOVED them - they just layed on them and played for awhile. It was so cute.

Tangled Dolls!

Getting ready to open the sleeping bags

After Robbie and April left we did presents with my parents and Lindsay and Steve. The girls got Doc McStuffins doctor kits, guitars, a microphone, UGG boots, Hannah got a baby LaLa Loopsy, Emma a Tangled dress/wig, Hannah a Brave dress/wig, .....all I can remember right now.

I got new UGG boots complete with ribbons on the back to match the girls, Banana Republic clothes, ring, earrings, Banana Republic perfume, Juicy Couture bathrobe, Juicy Couture perfume set, Coach scarf, Coach sunglass case......all I can remember.

Our big thing together this year was a fire pit for the back patio. Bo got a Polo jacket, cologne, Lowes Gift card, Carhartt sweater, some grilling tool thingy, car care kit - all I can remember.

mom got her annual picture calendar of the kids

E with her guitar 

H with her baby Lala Loopsy

H and her brave dress

Uggs!

all fancy

We had a nice evening, just hated that my dad was sick and couldn't participate in seeing the kids opening presents. I gave my mom and sister Origami Owl necklaces and had been so excited to give them.

We ate some quick leftovers and then it was off to church because I had handbells to play as people entered into church. We stayed for the 7:00 service and it was very nice. I always love the candlelight songs at the end of the service. They gave the kids glow sticks to participate safely, which I thought was a great idea.

all those nights of practice finally showing! 

After that was bath time and gift exchange from us and the girls. We gave the girls new books of course, Izzy Pirate stuffed animals, Emma a Mary Poppins Snow Globe, Hannah a Doc Mcstuffins Lamby (she still has a Lamb obsession). Emma gave Hannah an Arial Princess doll and Hannah gave Emma a Jasmine doll.

new books

Hannah giving to Emma

Izzy Pirates!

Mary poppins snow globe

Lamby!

Bo and the girls gave me an Origami Owl necklace - love it!! We gave Bo a new IPoD doc station for the kitchen and these Brookstone ice gadget things for drinks. The girls gave us our presents from the shop in Richmond. Emma gave me hot chocolate and Bo a koozie. Hannah gave me a "Mom" picture frame and Bo a "Dad" picture frame. I have to say I was very proud of the girls for not ever telling us what our presents were. They also did not tell each other what they got one another - they were great with their secrets.

Emma especially also got on this "wrapping" kick and wanted to wrap things on her own. She went to the spare bedroom, got my wrapping stuff and wrapped (very nicely) a drawing for me and Bo to "open together." She is so funny. I have it all on video. Hannah also wrapped me some extra presents with Bo's assistance - a Santa suncatcher and Christmas bag - she found things from a container I had things in and wrapped them for me. Too funny.

We put out our reindeer food, tracked Santa on the computer and then it was BED TIME!