Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve morning, we actually shipped Will & Sophie off to Nana & Papa's house for a couple hours so we could make a mad dash at getting most of the kids things (books, toys, puzzles, games, art supplies, etc) moved into the new play room. Craig still had to hang shelves and I still had four dishes to prepare for parties. So we were literally running to get everything done on Christmas Eve Day. Nana fed the kids lunch and I picked them back up to lay down for nap at home while we continued working on quieter things.

We were very late to church at 4:30... but still made it, thank goodness. All throughout the season, I have been talking to kids about the meaning of our Christmas celebration. We were NOT about to miss Christmas Eve mass.

After church, we made our way to Craig's parent's house. Christmas Eve is always spent there with the King/Powers side of the family (my mother-in-law's family).

The train is always a mesmerizing hit for the young and young at heart.

Tea party for one?

Finally, Celia arrives!

Grandma & Papa have a couple of high chairs built by the Amish (I've mentioned these before) that can be used three ways. Upright as a high chair, laying on one side to be used as a desk or on the other side to be used as a rocking horse. The rocking horse is just barely big enough for TWO little booties. :) I love these pictures. Cecelia is ~21 months here.

So cute.

Will & Sophie received presents from Grandma & Papa as well as several of Craig's cousins.

One cousin, Megan, traveled half way around the world to be with us on Christmas this year. Megan and her husband live in Indonesia and brought the kids gifts from home. Sophie got a really beautiful backpack and Will got a popular children's book character as a stuffed animal.

Celia opened a new tricycle (low rider style?) from Grandma & Papa and there seemed to be just enough room for Sophie to hop on the back. :)

The one thing Will repeatedly asked for this year was Transformers. He was so excited to open them and he has played with them A LOT... but the actual transforming part is difficult even for an adult. Like, ridiculously difficult. We don't really transform them much.

Craig and his mini-me.

Sophie's big present this year was a doll house!! She loves it! And I love that it is simple and not too foo-fooey. I have a feeling that it will be played with by both kids, just as Sophie plays with Will's barn and farm sets, so I requested a unisex look and as "natural-looking" as possible. This house and room sets are by Ryan's Room.

It's sometimes hard coming up with "big" presents for the second child. We don't need a wagon, a tricycle, an activity table, a water table, etc... But she seemed old enough for a doll house and now that we have the play room... this seemed like a perfect gift for her this year.

Grown-up cousins!

(Minus Kelly & Steve who were home at this point tending to their newly expanded family... plus Sophie who snuck in at the last minute. Haha!)

We stayed until about 10:30 and then came home to get kids to bed and get ready for Santa to visit!

Some of our homemade cookies for Santa that were saved in the freezer. (The candy canes broke at the last minute.) Plus a dino picture for Santa. ;-)