Christmas at the grandparents'

After Christmas Eve stuff at our own house, we head south.  We go to church with Jeff's parents at the children's mass.  Then we mooch from our parents for dinner (this year it was my parents), do some Christmas Eve traditions at my parent's house and then spend the night there.  We do Christmas morning gift opening with my family, spend the afternoon with Jeff's family, and then eat dinner with my parents and whoever else shows up.  We love getting to see everyone!

After church

Simpson Family Christmas

Stockings hung with care

Tree and gifts

Look at that special gift!

Grammi with two of her girls

Claire helps with all present opening

Opening her bubble mower

Double the bubble mower fun!

Ellie has the best seat in the house

Claire tries out her new jacket

Paaps gets some snuggles from Audrey

Ellie snuggles with Daddy

Ellie steals Daddy $100 bill!

Jeff opens a big present!  (new workshop radio)

Claire enjoys the train

Schulze Family Christmas

Present opening

Claire engrossed in her new Daniel Tiger trolley

Ellie opening (eating) a special ornament from her grandparents

A doll for Ellie

Happy girl!

Grandparents and granddaughters :)

The 4 cousins

Claire wanted a snack - I suggested something healthy,
Grandma suggested ice cream!

Breaking in the new twister game

Christmas at our house - 2013

We do Christmas at our house a day early.  This lets us travel to spend Christmas eve and and Christmas day with our family.  So our Christmas morning is really Christmas eve morning.  This year Jeff had to work the night of the 23rd until 6 am Christmas eve.  That me alone to handle all the Santa/Christmas prep.  I got the girls in their new jammies and got pictures.  We put out cookies for Santa and sprinkled (dumped) reindeer food on the front yard.  After the girls were in bed I got all the last minute stuff done and presents put out.

Pictures with stockings

Posing under the tree

Hanging a stocking with care

Ellie finally gets close to the tree

Claire finally gets to touch an ornament!

Claire dumps reindeer food outside

The tree before...

...and after!

Claire helps Daddy with his stocking

Ellie tries to eat mine

Ellie loves her Sing Along Stage

Ellie helps open a present

Claire open a white present from Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Donna

It was an excellent Christmas!  Claire got the white present she asked Santa for a couple times over.  A white high chair for her dolls and a feeding accessory set wrapped in white paper from Santa.  Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Donna also wrapped her present in white paper.  Plus many other gifts including puzzles, legos, and rain boots.  Jeff got tickets to a show and backpack kid carrier and I got some books, a new robe, a steamer pot I wanted and other cooking goodies.  Ellie received a hooded towel and the sing along stage and some books too.

Christmas Activities

There's always lot of fun Christmas-y stuff to do in November and December.  This year we took a family photo for the Christmas card, Santa pics for the girls, visited Stone Mountain with my family, and did the Garden Lights at the botanic garden.

Christmas card photo

A visit with Santa

Stone Mountain village

Group photo

Riding the train

Decorating cookies

Audrey and Claire very intent on their work

Lights at the Garden

Ellie snug as a bug

The Earth Goddess all lit up

The cobra sculpture gets festive too

Child wonder

Me and my girls

These orbs change color in time to music

Enthralled by the trains

Family photo