We took down our Christmas tree today and I’m feelin’ all sorts of post-holiday blues over here. SO, let’s go back a week, when I was hot-tubbing in Portland with these beauties and talking about what we thought Santa would bring on his sleigh!
It was a particularly cozy Christmas weekend, made all the warmer by snuggles with Bina, the newest member of the Jarrell family.
Shane brought his Nintendo down with us, which made for some some pretty intense Mario Kart sessions with the cousins.
The excitement was just too much for little Bina.
Icy roads kept us house-bound on Christmas Eve, so we made do with more Bina-time and some indoor shenanigans.
My mom and I are teaching Elise how to knit, a hobby she’s tackling with extreme focus.
The stir-crazies set in shortly after lunch, so we bundled up and headed outdoors to play in the…ice?
There were no snowmen, or even snowballs, but there was plenty of slipping and sliding on the streets and sidewalks.
We sought refuge indoors for a bit and sipped on mugs of Grandma’s hot cocoa, but the sight of big fluffy flakes and neighbors on sleds soon drew the girls back outside.
Morgan’s big birthday wish just a few days earlier had been for a snow day, so this was like a dream come true!
Lord knows I love beachy Jules, but snow-dusted stocking caps and rosy cheeks are such a good luck on both these girls!
And now I bring you…more Bina! She’s pretty irresistible.
The girls opened their new PJ’s from Grandma that evening, which has become a Christmas Eve tradition. This year, the dolls got new outfits as well!
And then we lit up the fireplace, made a nest of sleeping bags and pillows, and settled in for the Polar Express. On a 10-point cozy scale, this gets an 11.
Post-movie, cookies and carrots were left by the fireplace for Santa and his reindeer and three exhausted-but-pumped-up little girls were tucked in with instructions to not get out of bed before 7 am the next morning.
At 7:15 on Christmas morning, the kids were tearing into their stockings, thrilled that SANTA CAME!
The morning was a flurry of wrapping paper and thank you’s. Ironically, after the weeks I spent hemming and hawing over the perfect gift for Juliette, her favorite present was the Trolls-themed electric toothbrush I tossed in her stocking.
The Zelda action figure that Shane picked out for her was also a huge hit.
I much appreciated my own thoughtfulness when I opened the purse I had ordered on Black Friday.
Morgan was the first of the kids to get dressed that morning, eager to sport her new accessories. This girl’s style is fierce.
And then…all was calm.
Snow continued to spit from the skies that morning, so once the kids had chowed down on their waffles topped with crumbled candy canes, they headed outside to burn off that sugar rush.
The snow was still too crusty to make into balls, but the smashing of ice sheets was quite satisfying.
And then, driveway sledding. With tunnels!
Juliette played hard and crashed hard – I had a heck of a time rustling her from nap so that she’d be up (and out of her pajamas!) for Christmas dinner.
The promise of cookie-decorating got her going, though, so the girls worked on dessert while Mitch and Kathryn and Mom put the finishing touches on dinner.
Shane kept Bina from being underfoot in the bustling kitchen. I thought this guy was allergic to dogs, but…?
We ate a decadent meal of country ham and took turns sharing our 2017 highlights, ending the day on a strong note of gratitude. We certainly have no shortage of things or people or experiences (or puppies!) to be thankful for.
