So this post is 2 months past due but I was hoping to include our professional Christmas pictures (which we STILL don't have! I'm NOT happy!) in the post so I kept putting it off hoping I would get them soon. I'm definitely doing this more for my sake and for my memory bank at this point because I'm sure I've already forgotten a ton of the details that I would have originally put in the post. Better late than never!
We had such a wonderful Christmas and I had the best time spending two whole weeks with Beckett! We ate lots of good food, spent lots of time with family, visited with sweet friends and just overall enjoyed the season. Beckett was such fun this Christmas and really enjoyed the process of making sure every single piece of wrapping paper was removed from his gifts before he showed interest in them.
We had several places to go for dinners/parties but thankfully it wasn't as overwhelming as I had anticipated. Not all of them were on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day (though most were) so that helped out some too. I can't say that we'll be doing as much next year with a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old because it's just getting to be too much. Everyone wants to do something separate and it's sort of exhausting for the ones who are caught in the middle, like us. Our Christmas Eve is always super rushed trying to get from one place to the next and trying our best to spend quality time with everyone so we usually don't get home until super late. We've established Christmas mornings as our time to spend in our home together opening presents as a family without any other obligations and I love that (even though I'm used to doing it all on Christmas Eve). I hope to establish more traditions over the years as our family and kids grow. Right now the holidays are filled with doing what makes everyone else happy but it's often at the expense of our quality family time. We're working on that and we'll get there eventually. :-)
On to the fun..
Since I was off the week leading up to Christmas, Beckett was home with me instead of at daycare. His class was having a party before they closed for the holiday and we didn't want him to miss out so we decided at the last minute to take him so he could visit with his friends and swap gifts (they each brought in a wrapped book to exchange). I'm so glad we decided to take him and sit in on the fun. It was so cute to see him interact with his little friends. He really loves them so much!
[gallery ids="817,816,815,814" type="circle" columns="2"]
On Christmas Eve we typically see Joey's dad's side of the family and my step-dad's parents for dinner(s) and presents. After visiting with them, we head to mom's to open presents with them. By this time it's usually late and we're all tired and we were worried that Beckett would be out but he was totally into opening his presents and helping everyone else with theirs.
Before we left for our long evening of food, family and presents!
[gallery ids="909,911,910" type="circle"]
Christmas Eve with the McCroskey's:
[gallery ids="824,823,822,821" type="rectangular"]
Christmas Eve with Popi and Nannie:
[gallery ids="827,828" type="rectangular"]
Christmas Eve with Nene, Grumps and Uncle Tanner:
[gallery ids="837,839,842,838,840,843,836,835,841" type="rectangular"]
So we broke tradition a little bit when we got home. Joey and I decided to open our gifts to each other so that we could focus solely on Beckett enjoying Christmas morning.
[gallery ids="850,853,855,851,854,852" type="rectangular"]
[gallery ids="848,847" type="rectangular"]
After B was in bed, Joey and I cleaned up the playroom so we could set up the tee pee. Our plan was to start in the playroom the next morning and then move downstairs to the rest of his gifts.
[gallery ids="861,863,862" type="rectangular"]
When we went downstairs things got a little crazy. He had a car and a kitchen and a few wrapped presents. I'd originally wanted the car to be outside waiting on him but Joey didn't get the memo so the car was in the living room and it was the only thing he saw or cared about for quite some time.
[gallery ids="867,868,881,883" type="rectangular"]
[gallery ids="882,876,873,875,877,870,869,872,884" type="rectangular"]
It was unseasonably warm on Christmas morning so we took the car outside so he could test it out on the driveway. He was loving it and we couldn't stop laughing and smiling.
[gallery ids="890,891,889" type="rectangular"]
Later that day we headed to my Aunt's house to have dinner with my mom's side of the family. Beckett has so much fun there because my cousin has two little boys, the youngest being just a few months older than B. They are so sweet together.
[gallery ids="895,896,897" type="rectangular"]
The day after Christmas we celebrated at Joey's dad's house. He got another elephant and a HUGE train set from Joey's aunt that we haven't tackled just yet.
[gallery ids="905,903,902,904" type="rectangular"]
We really had the best Christmas and it was so fun to see Beckett at an age where he could really enjoy it. I know this year will be even more fun (and crazy with the addition of a 6 month old!).
Oh, I almost forgot! We took a picture on his PBKids elephant rocker (which he got from Santa in 2014) on Christmas morning to compare to the picture we took on his first Christmas. He was so tiny!!!!! That sweet baby face!
We had such a wonderful Christmas and I had the best time spending two whole weeks with Beckett! We ate lots of good food, spent lots of time with family, visited with sweet friends and just overall enjoyed the season. Beckett was such fun this Christmas and really enjoyed the process of making sure every single piece of wrapping paper was removed from his gifts before he showed interest in them.
We had several places to go for dinners/parties but thankfully it wasn't as overwhelming as I had anticipated. Not all of them were on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day (though most were) so that helped out some too. I can't say that we'll be doing as much next year with a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old because it's just getting to be too much. Everyone wants to do something separate and it's sort of exhausting for the ones who are caught in the middle, like us. Our Christmas Eve is always super rushed trying to get from one place to the next and trying our best to spend quality time with everyone so we usually don't get home until super late. We've established Christmas mornings as our time to spend in our home together opening presents as a family without any other obligations and I love that (even though I'm used to doing it all on Christmas Eve). I hope to establish more traditions over the years as our family and kids grow. Right now the holidays are filled with doing what makes everyone else happy but it's often at the expense of our quality family time. We're working on that and we'll get there eventually. :-)
On to the fun..
Since I was off the week leading up to Christmas, Beckett was home with me instead of at daycare. His class was having a party before they closed for the holiday and we didn't want him to miss out so we decided at the last minute to take him so he could visit with his friends and swap gifts (they each brought in a wrapped book to exchange). I'm so glad we decided to take him and sit in on the fun. It was so cute to see him interact with his little friends. He really loves them so much!
[gallery ids="817,816,815,814" type="circle" columns="2"]
On Christmas Eve we typically see Joey's dad's side of the family and my step-dad's parents for dinner(s) and presents. After visiting with them, we head to mom's to open presents with them. By this time it's usually late and we're all tired and we were worried that Beckett would be out but he was totally into opening his presents and helping everyone else with theirs.
Before we left for our long evening of food, family and presents!
[gallery ids="909,911,910" type="circle"]
Christmas Eve with the McCroskey's:
[gallery ids="824,823,822,821" type="rectangular"]
Christmas Eve with Popi and Nannie:
[gallery ids="827,828" type="rectangular"]
Christmas Eve with Nene, Grumps and Uncle Tanner:
[gallery ids="837,839,842,838,840,843,836,835,841" type="rectangular"]
So we broke tradition a little bit when we got home. Joey and I decided to open our gifts to each other so that we could focus solely on Beckett enjoying Christmas morning.
[gallery ids="850,853,855,851,854,852" type="rectangular"]
[gallery ids="848,847" type="rectangular"]
After B was in bed, Joey and I cleaned up the playroom so we could set up the tee pee. Our plan was to start in the playroom the next morning and then move downstairs to the rest of his gifts.
[gallery ids="861,863,862" type="rectangular"]
When we went downstairs things got a little crazy. He had a car and a kitchen and a few wrapped presents. I'd originally wanted the car to be outside waiting on him but Joey didn't get the memo so the car was in the living room and it was the only thing he saw or cared about for quite some time.
[gallery ids="867,868,881,883" type="rectangular"]
[gallery ids="882,876,873,875,877,870,869,872,884" type="rectangular"]
It was unseasonably warm on Christmas morning so we took the car outside so he could test it out on the driveway. He was loving it and we couldn't stop laughing and smiling.
[gallery ids="890,891,889" type="rectangular"]
Later that day we headed to my Aunt's house to have dinner with my mom's side of the family. Beckett has so much fun there because my cousin has two little boys, the youngest being just a few months older than B. They are so sweet together.
[gallery ids="895,896,897" type="rectangular"]
The day after Christmas we celebrated at Joey's dad's house. He got another elephant and a HUGE train set from Joey's aunt that we haven't tackled just yet.
[gallery ids="905,903,902,904" type="rectangular"]
We really had the best Christmas and it was so fun to see Beckett at an age where he could really enjoy it. I know this year will be even more fun (and crazy with the addition of a 6 month old!).
Oh, I almost forgot! We took a picture on his PBKids elephant rocker (which he got from Santa in 2014) on Christmas morning to compare to the picture we took on his first Christmas. He was so tiny!!!!! That sweet baby face!
Sounds and looks like you had a great time! I think it's lovely to record all the details of special events especially as next year you will have 2 children and the dynamic will have changed again. Hope you get your professional photos soon!
ReplyDeleteWe most certainly did. My husband took tons of videos too which I'm so glad we have (now if I could find the time to actually do something with them!). I've been in touch with the photographer who was supposed to send me the Dropbox link over a week ago (she said she'd mailed a disk previously.. not so sure that's true) and I still haven't gotten it. So frustrating! The worst part is that we had her take some pregnancy announcement photos during our Christmas session that we didn't get to use. :-(
ReplyDeleteThat's a real shame! At least you have the videos and still have the pictures to look forward to, better late than never!
ReplyDelete