It's the Holiday Season...

Hard to believe that another Christmas has come and gone. This was the first Christmas in the new house and it was everything I could have possibly dreamed! We started some new traditions and well as keeping some of the old! We had a lot of Christmas festivities during the month, including the annual Christmas Party at the Revere Rec center! Even though we no longer live there, it didn't stop us from driving south to visit our friends to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year!!

Me and the boys!


The boys got to see Silly Willy the clown but the highlight of the day was seeing Santa!







Even I am not too old to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what I wanted for Christmas! He was a good listener and my speedlite will be arriving via UPS on Thursday!!!!


On Christmas Eve, I started cooking up a storm. I finished putting together my gifts for the neighbors


Then got ready for the IL's to arrive for a Christmas sleepover! I began by starting my dough for the Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls and while the dough was rising, I prepared my meatball mixture for our Pasta and Meatball dinner.



One of the new traditions we started was putting out luminaries. This was something that the Doc did as a kid and wanted to do with our boys! The boys helped Daddy and Omi make up the bags and then they set them up along the driveway. I was in the middle of frying meatballs but I took a break to snap a few pictures. It looked really nice once they got them all lit, but unfortunately the picture doesn't even begin to do it justice.


After dinner, it was tubby time and the traditional opening up of the Christmas jammies. Then it was time for Evan to go to bed, while the older boys helped get Santa's treat ready!



Everyone leaves milk and cookies, we decided to leave out brownies and hot chocolate! Oh and a peanut butter filled celery stick for Rudolph!


Christmas morning, Evan woke up first at 6:30. He had a rough night sleeping due to a low grade fever and runny nose. David and Shaun woke up at 6:45 right on schedule and ready to go downstairs. But first we had to make sure that Santa had come and gone!


We headed downstairs and the boys started with their stockings, while the grown-ups got their coffee. Then they got to open up their gifts from Santa. Santa wraps all presents in the same special paper so it was easy to tell which ones were from Santa. After the Santa gifts were opened the boys found a card in the tree. Looks like Santa had one last trick up his sleeve. It was a scavenger hunt. In order to find the last gift they had to find all the clues!

Daddy helping the boys read the first clue!

The scavenger hunt led them all over the house and eventually down to the lower level where they found a brand new drum set waiting for them! It was a big hit with David and Shaun and Evan probably would have enjoyed it too, had he not been accidentally walked into a door by a very excited Shaun. Poor kid was having a pretty hard day already and then got to add a nice shiner to the mix.

After the scavenger hunt, we took a break to eat some yummy cinnamon rolls and muffins before opening the gifts from the IL's. While the kids were busy eating I ran up stairs to take a picture of the tree from above!


After gifts it was time to start cleaning up and getting ready for my family to arrive. But of course, I had to take a quick break from my prep to get a picture of me and Charlie by the tree!


And then of course a whole family photo (have I mentioned how much I love having a remote for my shutter!)!


The IL's headed out and I got the Prime Rib seasoned and put into the oven ready for my whole family to arrive! I set up the appetizers and we did our family gift exchange while we waited for my Aunt, Uncle and cousins to arrive for dinner! Doesn't my Prime Rib look delicious! I cooked it just a tad too long, but it was still juicy and flavorful. Next year I'll listen to my instincts and take it out when the temp is 125. But for my first time, I was pretty psyched with how well it turned out!



The gang all enjoying Christmas dinner!


It was an amazing Christmas weekend and one I will never forget. I am looking forward to many more happy Christmas's here in our new home!