Our Christmas 2016

We started our Christmas celebrations on Wednesday. Since we go to Nathan's parents house every Wednesday anyway, we just decided to have our Christmas there the Wednesday before Christmas. The kids got some cute new clothes and books from Uncle Brandon, Aunt Whitney and cousin Paxton. Meme and Papaw got them some cool writing tablets called Boogie Boards and some surprises Meme snuck back from Disney World. I forgot my phone at home that night so sadly I have zero pictures from this party :(

Thursday night was our church's Christmas service. Since Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, they did it early so everyone could spend Christmas morning with family. The cast of Frozen was there plus Santa! This was the first time Noah was old enough to sit out with us for the service. He did ok, but I was thankful they gave us a "fidget bag" full of activities to keep him busy when he got bored. Ryan had so much fun back at Jesus' birthday party in the kids area. After that we went to a drive-thru and got food and drove around looking at Christmas lights - this may need to be a new tradition :)

Friday night Nathan and I went on a quick date to the movies. I wanted to see Office Christmas Party before it went off. I love all Jason Bateman movies and didn't want to miss this one. It was only showing in the VIP recliner theater. This was our first time to watch a movie in the recliners. Oh. My. Gosh. I want to watch every movie in them! They were so comfortable! I loved being able to curl up in the chair just like I do at home. The only thing that could have made it more perfect would have been a blanket and I can easily fix that next time!

We do our family Christmas parties on Christmas Eve. We always have breakfast at my mom's house. We eat, do presents and then my step-dad reads us all The Night Before Christmas. My dad joins us at this party to see my older brother and his kids. My mom always gets us Silver Dollar City season passes for our Christmas gift. Noah got some Star Wars guys and a new coat, Ryan got new horse bedding from Pottery Barn and a jewelry box. Since there are so many kids we draw names with them. Ryan got a new Monster High doll that she can dye it's hair and Noah got a new Minecraft game he had been dying to get :)

Cousins playing in the yard :)

Noah had a great seat for the reading of The Night Before Christmas

The Night Before Christmas groupies on the front row :)

My brother Eli and his family, minus his oldest Savannah who was with her mom.

My brother Jeremy and his kids

Ryan refused to look or smile for a picture, so this is as good as I get this year :(

My mom and step-dad

After that we had to run to Atwoods for Nathan to get his Dirty Santa gift for that afternoon (he had a bad habit of last minute shopping). Then it was home to play with their new toys and I cleaned house and washed all of Ryan's new bedding and got it on her bed so she could sleep on it Christmas night. Then it was off to Nathan's grandmas house for the Brown Christmas. We all ate and the kids got to open their presents. We all buy for the little kids and the big kids and adults all do Dirty Santa. Dirty Santa is never really that dirty there - but a few things do get stolen. I ended up with a crock-pot and Nathan got some work lights. I don't really need another crock-pot so I will probably end up taking it back. After the gift exchanges we played cards. Nathan and I had our first experience at Rook - that game takes a lot of thinking (especially when you haven't ever played before) but I think if we played it more and got used to it then it would have been easier. I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing most of the game :)

Ryan got two of the same doll and it just so happened to be one that Santa got her too! :)

We then had to get home to set the reindeer food out in the yard and Santa's milk and cookies on the table. Ryan went right to sleep. Noah was up until almost midnight. He was having a rough night - he didn't want the elves to leave and was pretty upset about it. Santa finally came, ate cookies, put elves away and went to sleep.

Noah got up at 7:00 Christmas morning. We had him play in his room for a minute while we got up and awake enough to go downstairs. We let Ryan sleep. We kept Christmas smaller this year again. The kids each picked out 4 things they wanted from Santa and then they got a few extra things in their stockings. Noah acted like he loved all his presents and there wasn't so much he was overwhelmed. He got some Minecraft toys, a Spiderman play set, mini superhero set and a few Playstation games. Ryan got up about 9:00 and was ready for presents :) She got a giant Elsa doll, Lion Guard play set, PJ Masks characters and a Clawdeen Wolf doll. She has constantly been playing with it all ever since. Nathan got a range finder for golf, some clothes and a movie. I got a new can opener and candles but Santa couldn't find anything on my list so I just get to use Santa's card and shop for myself now :)

My dad came over about 10:30 and we gave him his presents and I gave the kids presents from him. (He just gives me money and has me buy them things). Ryan got some new accessories for her doll house he got her for her birthday and a Moana doll. Noah got Mario Wii game and Minecraft books.

Playing Toss Across with Papa Bobby

The rest of the day was spent with Daddy playing WWE wrestling on the Playstation with Noah and napping on the couch. We opened everything up and played all day. At 5:00 we drove out to my grandmas house to see her since we were at Disney World when she had her Christmas party. Then we stopped by my mom's real quick to get the kids stockings from her before we went to the movies. I have heard of lots of people having the tradition of going to the movies on Christmas day and since we are movie lovers we decided to start that tradition his year also. We went to see Sing and it was pretty cute. Ryan couldn't follow the storyline very well, but loved the animal dancing and singing. Noah was already asking to see it again before it was over!

Ryan as Moana :)

We really had a great holiday this year. Everyone was healthy and happy and thankful. It was nice have kids old enough to be able to sit and let the kids play so we could visit with family at the parties. We have been waiting on that for years! Now we just have to wrap this last week of 2016 up and we will be on to 2017!