Christmas 2017

*This post may contain affiliate links.

What a wonderful long weekend we just had!  I had intended to post our Christmas recap yesterday, but the holiday got the best of me, and I decided to forgo time on the computer to spend quality time with my lovies instead.  :o)  What can I say about our Christmas?  Well, it was pretty much perfect.  It was magical and fun and a little bit crazy all rolled into one.  Just the way we like it!

We started the long holiday weekend with lots of relaxing Wednesday evening.  I whipped up some copycat Winter White Cosmos (from Bonefish) and B and I settled in for a movie night.

Thursday Jacob and I hung around the house in the morning and then it was off to run a couple of errands.  My allergies and asthma were RAGING in the few days leading up to Christmas so we headed to the allergist so he could change my meds to try to keep me comfortable.  But first, we decided to swing through the Wendy’s drive-through for frosties… at 11 o’clock in the morning.  Because – Christmas break! 

Jacob and I picked Olivia up from school early and then we headed straight to my parents’ house for an impromptu dinner with my brother, SIL, and nephew!  It was the first time we had gotten to see them since they had arrived home and it was a wonderful evening of catching up.  I helped my mom prep for dinner and then we all headed outside for some fresh air since we finally had a break in the rain.  It literally rained/was super cloudy all week leading up to Christmas Day. 

That evening when we got home from my parents’ house, we arrived home to this:

The majority of the Christmas tree lights were out and I was beside myself!  Why oh why does stuff like that have to happen right before Christmas?!  Brian messed with them for a little bit and he finally discovered that the fuse for the strand that plugged into the wall was blown.  All he did was pop out the old one, pop in a new one, and voila!  The six dark strands were all okay!  Whew!  #IKnewIMarriedHimForAReason  ;o)

That evening we put the kids to bed, watched the SNL Christmas Special and then called it a night.

Friday morning we were up and out early to get the kids to Nana and Poppie’s house to bake and decorate Christmas cookies!  B and I used the opportunity to step out and run a few last-minute errands while the kids baked with Nana.  We actually ended up at Toys R Us and it wasn’t near as crazy as we were thinking it would be since it was just three days before Christmas.  We ended up scoring a Robotrax for Jacob for half off!!  We were already done shopping for him, but for the last week all he kept telling people was that he wanted a Robotrax from Santa.  Fortunately we were able to make that happen!

Meanwhile, the kids were decorating cookies AKA dumping sprinkles EVERYWHERE.  Haha.

That evening we made White Chicken Chili at home and then we did our annual drive around and look at Christmas lights night.  The kids were particularly excited about it this year and they really oohed and ahhed more than ever!  They kept shouting gleefully, “MORE MORE!”

We finished the evening with some festive mules and more couch time.

Saturday morning we were up and out early again to meet my bro, SIL, and nephew at our local trampoline park.  They do toddler time on Saturday mornings so we were able to avoid the chaos of older kids and it was a great time!  The kids (and adults) all jumped and played for two straight hours and a good time was had by all!  I thought for sure I would be super sore the next day but I actually wasn’t.  Good to know I’m not an old lady yet.  ;o)

Saturday afternoon was spent making gingerbread houses that B and I had picked up on Friday.  I helped Jacob with the frosting while B helped Olivia and then the two kids decorated their houses all by themselves.  Not too shabby, right?

After the gingerbread houses were made and lots of frosting and toppings were eaten, B and the kids baked all the chocolate chip cookies for Christmas Eve.  We called in pizza for dinner and then we all snuggled up on the couch to watch Home Alone.  While we’ve had it on in the background every Christmas Eve since both of them were born, this was the first time we had all actually sat down and watched together.  The kids LOVED it.  No surprise there!

Sunday was Christmas Eve and the morning was spent cooking.  We all took a very short break to have Sunday lunch at my MIL’s, and then it was back home to cook some more and get ready for children’s Christmas Eve mass.

Mass was at 4 and it kicked off my favorite 8 hours of the entire year.  The kids were able to go to the front of the church to hear our priest tell the story of the nativity, and the children’s choir sang all of the hymns.  It is always my absolute favorite mass of the entire year!

We had to stop in the commons area after mass for some pictures by the big Christmas tree and then it was time to run home and grab all of the food and gifts to take to my parents’ house for Christmas Eve dinner.

We arrived at my parents’ house around 6 and the rest of the evening was spent eating, drinking, opening gifts, and being merry with so many of our loved ones.  In addition to my family of four, my momma, daddy, two brothers, sister-in-law, nephew, uncle, uncle’s girlfriend, father-in-law, and brother’s friend were all there so it was a packed house!

My mom had made a huge spread – honey glazed ham garnished with pineapple, dressing, homemade mac n cheese, sweet potato soufflé, and green beans, and I had brought the mashed potatoes and black eyed peas while my uncle’s girlfriend brought broccoli salad.  I whipped up some Winter White Cosmos and we also opened a bottle of wine, and we all stuffed ourselves silly. 

After dinner we opened gifts.  My Momma and Daddy bought several things for me off of my wish list – these boots, this scarf, and these work out pants along with a few other things.  And by the way, I love all three of those things… all fit perfectly and are so cute!  The boots are ah-mazing.  I LOVE them. 

The kids scored lots of new stuff including a new spaceship shaped tent for J and a Jasmine costume and Cinderella dress for Olivia. 

Once the gifts were all opened, we all settled in for our annual viewing of Home Alone and dessert – Ritz Pecan Pie and the homemade chocolate chip cookies that B and the kids had made with coffee to accompany. 

Christmas Eve perfection.

Side note, my littlest brother surprised my mom by chopping off his hair which has been as long as mine for several years now... she was ecstatic!  And he looks so handsome!

A little after 10 we got the kids in their jammies and loaded up the car and headed home to get them in the bed so Santa could come.  They were both sound asleep within 30 seconds (literally) and B and I quickly got to work. 

B built a fire, we put on Home Alone 2 and then I cooked up the breakfast sausage for Christmas morning before pulling out all the things to put together.  We made it to bed a little before 2 and then we were awakened a short hour or so later by Olivia’s awful croupy breathing.  Thank God our doctor had prescribed some Prednisolone for us to keep on hand, because if not, we would have had to take her to the ER.  Her strider was so bad that she was struggling to breathe and it scared me to death.  We are no strangers to croup as it landed Jacob in the ER overnight when he was two, so we knew exactly what to do.  I ended up putting her in our bed and I spent the next hour and a half wide awake waiting for the medicine to kick in and her breathing to regulate.  Just as I fell back asleep it was about time to be up on Christmas morning.

Olivia was perfectly fine when she woke up and you would never know that she had had any issues during the night, thank you Lord!  We all headed downstairs at about 7:45 and the kids checked out everything that Santa had brought.  The first thing Jacob commented on was the Robotrax so B and I were glad that we had gone out and gotten it at the last minute!

The kiddos loved everything that they received and Olivia changed clothes no less than five times in the first hour because she wanted to wear all of her new costumes. 

I started brunch around 9:15 and everything was ready by 10.  I made a sausage, biscuit, egg, and cheese casserole, bacon, Munchkins from Dunkin’ Donuts, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes, and then OJ and coffee to drink.

My momma, daddy, bro, uncle, uncle’s girlfriend, and father-in-law all came over and we ate and ate some more.  Afterward, the kiddos showed off their new toys, and then we all opened our stockings from my parents. 

They all cleared out just before noon and I took the next couple of hours to get some stuff put away (hardly made a dent in the mess.  Haha) and then around 3 I lay down on the couch for a nice little Christmas nap while B and the kiddos played.

I was up by 4 to cook my pineapple casserole and then we all got ready and headed to my aunt and uncle’s house for Christmas evening with my mom’s entire side of the family.  You may remember that we were originally supposed to host, but my aunt and uncle who usually host ended up being able to stay home for Christmas so they just decided to host like usual.

Olivia received some real Georgia cheerleading pom poms so she naturally wanted to wear her Georgia cheerleader uniform.  ;o)

My cousins who live in Denver and LA were both here and my cousin Zoe’s kids were here as well.  They are Jacob’s and Olivia’s exact ages so the four of them played and played and played all night while the adults ate a ton of food (again) and drank lots of wine (again).  It was a wonderful evening!  We even managed to take a group picture of the whole family!! 

We got home a little after 9 and the kids had already both passed out in the car, so bedtime was easy peasy and B and I spent the rest of the evening downstairs watching yet another movie… this time, Bad Santa.  (Not a fan, by the way!)

Tuesday everyone was so exhausted that we all slept in past 8 and then we got ready and headed to Atlanta to meet my brother, SIL, nephew, and some of my brother’s friends at the Georgia Aquarium.  My nephew, Tucker, is obsessed with fish right now so they wanted to take him.  We hadn’t been in a couple of years, so it was nice for the kids to see it again.  Jacob remembered going the last time, but Olivia had no memory of it since she wasn’t even two the last time we went. 

We spent the day looking at beluga whales and whale sharks and penguins and all sorts of other marine life.  We went to the section where you can touch some of the rays and fish and other things and both of them were all over it, even though Olivia was a bit timid at first.  The kids were a bit whiny in between exhibits, but over all they did pretty great considering that we were there for five hours!

Also, Tucker hadn't been wanting me to hold him too much since he had arrived because he doesn't get to see us but once a year other than in pictures and via Facetime, but toward the end of our time at the aquarium he lifted his little arms to me because he wanted me to pick him up.  I was in heaven and I carried him around for the remainder of our time there.

We made it home just in time for me to make some grilled cheese sandwiches for a late dinner, and then it was off to bed for the kids and more TV watching for B and me. 

B was back at work yesterday and the kids and I literally never even left our PJs, so it was a productive day.

We truly had the best loooong Christmas weekend and we are so very thankful for another year of holidays where everyone was healthy and well.  And as of yesterday morning our house still looked like this:

Now to celebrate with Brian’s family this coming weekend!

*Linking up with Home of Malones for Thoughts for Thursday.