We were so fortunate to be surrounded by friends & family throughout the Christmas season. Celebrations with the people we love started early in December & lasted until the end of the year. You loved every moment of it, & I'm sure you're sad to see the Christmas season go.
We started with our fun Thanksmas Swap, where we celebrate Thanksgiving & Christmas with some of our friends (last year's Thanksmas Swap). After a filling holiday dinner, we had an intense Yankee Swap. The gift favorites seemed to be a coffee mug in the shape of a toilet & a large Yoda stuffed animal this year. It was actually a tame year this year. It was so fun to ring in the holiday season with some of our nearest & dearest friends.
The next weekend we headed to the Big Apple for a city-style Christmas celebration with your God Father & Aunt E.
Next your Aunt Andrea & Lowell flew up for a weekend of birthday celebrating, a wonderful family Christmas, & New England fun. We had a cozy & fun McGovern Christmas celebration. It was so nice to be all together. Aunt Andrea's favorite gift didn't come until a week later, though, when Lowell proposed! We're so happy for them & exited that you'll be calling him Uncle Lowell.
It was sad saying goodbye to Andrea & Lowell, but the next week was filled to the brim with fun events. We were able to gather at our house for a Christmas party with some of your dearest friends. Little M was born four weeks before you, & little S was born six weeks after. You three have been playing together all of your lives, & it was a blast watching you together this year (last year's Christmas party). It's amazing to me how much you grow each year.
Your Christmas party at school was adorable & sweet. It was also your last day in your class. Yup, you've moved from Peanuts to Sunshines. I couldn't help but look around at all the littles & be in awe at how much everyone had grown. You're all so cute with your little (& sometimes big) personalities.
Believe it or not, next was our little family Christmas celebration. Since we're traveling to other homes on December 25th, Santa makes a special visit to our house earlier in the week so we can celebrate & enjoy at home. This year we celebrated on the 23rd. We spent the whole day in our pajamas & only left the house to pick up take-out Thai food for dinner (yup, in my PJs). It was so fun to see your excited little face. You really do make Christmas so much more special. Unfortunately, Christmas was also full of tantrums this year. We chalked it up to a busy day...& a busy week. However, just as we sat down to dinner, you vomited all over the table. Poor thing, you must've had an upset stomach & the tantrums were a result of you not being able to express it. It wasn't exactly how we thought the day would go, but it was still a special day in our funny little family way (our little family celebration last year).
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| Sitting in your castle with your two new favorite friends, Bell & Jingle. |
You were feeling much better on Christmas Eve, & we had Grandma & Papa over for dinner before going to a beautiful & sweet Christmas Eve service.
On Christmas Day, we headed to Grandma & Papa's house for a big family dinner & gathering. It's always a fun time to get together with your Grandma's family. It amazing how the family just grows & grows. Just as the last guests were leaving, we also left for our flights to North Carolina.
After 2 exhausting flights, & you screaming for the last 20 minutes of the last flight (chalk it up to being over tired. nothing helped. not movies or books or toys or an iPad.), we spent the last 10 minutes of Christmas Day with my family. We all woke up late the next day to celebrate Christmas together. It was an all day event, especially because you took a break to get some naps in. We had an amazing dinner together as a family, & once you went to bed we stayed up late & played board games that Aunt Jennie & Uncle Nick brought.
Sadly, the Bixby Family Christmas PJs didn't work out for everyone this year. I had ordered them in advance, but didn't realize until your poor uncle put them on that the company had shipped children's sizes instead of men's. Oh well, it sure did make everyone laugh (Last year's PJ's).
And that was our holiday season. Are you exhausted? I sure am. Our family & friends were more than generous & you were quite spoiled. I think we may have to buy a new house just to fit all of your things in it.
It's funny. Looking back, it was an absolutely perfect & amazing Christmas season in a tantrum filled, things shipped late, we were crazy busy, vomiting on Christmas dinner, small Christmas PJs kind of way. You know what I mean?
I love you so,
Mommy
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