A Merry Month

We didn't let December slip by without celebrating with a few festive traditions:

Lighting the Christmas Tree

BB's first sight of our lit Christmas tree - he giggled and danced to the Christmas music playing in the background

Cookie Decorating

J's sister had us all over to decorate Christmas cookies, and BB even decorated and ate his own sugar cookie.


The fruit(cake) of our labor
(Look out for J's "creative" cookies: the gingerbread man with a bloody amputated stump, the ginger-zombie, and the ginger-Jersey-Shore-man (orange-spray-tanned) )


BB and his cousin B jolly with a sugar-cookie-high

Visiting Santa
You can read all about J and I's thoughts on Santa Clause in this post from last year. I found this hilarious rebuttal to our concerns this year - but J and I feel peaceful about our decision to include Santa Clause as a fun, fictional story in our celebration of Christmas. So off to the mall we went to visit Santa.

Waiting to see Jolly Ol St. Nick


BB and GG waiting to see Santa


On Santa's lap - not sure what he's doing there or how he feels about it



Christmas Morning

Reading What is Christmas with Daddy while breakfast is cooking


Opening his wooden train set from Daddy and Mama


Gifts from Auntie Jen, Uncle Aaron, and M & A

The only photo of our little family on Christmas Day, taken after our delicious, huge dinner at J's sister's house, during our family gift exchange. BB got so many gifts from his aunties and uncles and grandparents - he was new-toy-crazed for a couple of days after Christmas, just spinning from one new toy to the next!

Me and my Mom's Christmas boots!

Christmas Cheers

J and I wrapped up the Christmas season with an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party with some great friends, where I put away some Shirley Temples and J downed Dr. Pepper, and I learned that I should only ever wear long, loose sweaters, leggings, and boots because it's the most comfortable outfit ever, especially after two days of rich Christmas food.

Goodbyes
GG left town last night after a week-long Christmas visit, and we were all sad to see her go.
BB's loves his GG!