k-strat: Christmas at home

Last Christmas was the first Christmas we purposefully decided to celebrate at home - I think doubling our number of kids the month previously took a toll and weighted our decision. We loved our church's Christmas Eve service and not having to pack up Christmas so much that we did it again this year. On Christmas Eve we decided to take a walk through Colonial Williamsburg. I love all the decorations they have up at the holidays. The weather was gorgeous, too!

We went to our candlelight Christmas Eve service at church...we even got to see our friends who moved away this summer and were back in town for Christmas! It was also the first year Eleanor was in the big service with us.

When we got home we had a lot to do - sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn, wrap last minute presents (a few arrived ON Christmas Eve, despite early ordering!), our advent reading, put out cookies for Santa, our annual Christmas "pyramid," and read The Polar Express and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. The girls even opened a present from each other.

The next morning everyone miraculously slept until almost 7 am. We opened stockings, presents, had breakfast together and the babies took a nap - Ben was very fussy. We've recently realized he wakes up 30-45 minutes before he starts shouting for us to come get him but he just sits and plays in his crib. We got him up as soon as we heard him moving (before he called for us) and he was not pleased.