Christmas 2011

This year I enjoyed baking some Christmas goodies. I made some of the traditional ones like Lemon Bars and then added something new that was easy and sounded good like brownies with peppermint frosting and candy cane bits on top.

On Friday, Dec. 23rd we headed down to my sister Jessica's house to celebrate Christmas "Adam" for the third year in a row. Basically we have our traditional Reynolds' family Christmas Eve dinner of clam chowder/ vegetable chowder, bread bowls, salmon log, etc. It is our way of carrying on the Reynolds traditions that we don't get to carry on with our in-laws. We spent the night there too so that we could have more time to visit. We had a lot of yummy food and visiting.

Ren and Thomas holding hands

Daphne and Thomas

Thomas and Ren playing together in Bumbos

We headed back home on Christmas Eve to celebrate with our little family on our own for the first time.

We made sugar cookies to leave out for Santa.

After baths and decorating the cookies we read the Christmas story from the bible. Maybrie got really into it and loved moving the nativity pieces as we re-told the story.

Maybrie loved it so much we actually had to re-tell it 3 times.

Maybrie gathered all of the characters around in a circle to make sure they could see baby Jesus. I was amazed that with all of the Santa stuff on Christmas Eve, Maybrie's favorite part was the nativity story. Leave it to a child to help us remember the true reason for celebrating Christmas. What a sweetheart!

We opened one present each... pajamas, read The Night Before Christmas, and tucked the kids into bed.

Here is a little glimpse of our Christmas decorations. We didn't have much, but it was enough and brought the Christmas spirit into our home.

Stockings hung

Cookies set out for Santa

Brian and I had so much fun playing Santa this year. We watched Sound of Music on TV while we got everything set up. We had so much fun. I was so excited I couldn't fall asleep until 1am!

Stockings filled

Presents set out... Santa brought Maybrie a shopping cart that she has been filling and pushing all over the house, and Thomas got a Little People Christmas train and Elmo.

Brian set up his train he had as a kid and Maybrie has gotten a kick out of it all week.

Thomas was the first one up at 7am. He really enjoyed his first stocking stuffer- keys. It was a long hour for me waiting for Maybrie and Brian to wake!

Maybrie opening her stocking

I made Maybrie some play makeup by filling old compacts with nail polish. It was sitting out with her stocking. She was so funny and had to open them all up, line them up, and put each one on before she would open anything else! Best free gift EVER!

After breakfast and getting ready we headed down to Grandview for church and Christmas dinner.

The cutest Santa EVER!

Festive Turkey dinner

We had a lovely Christmas and especially enjoyed starting some of our own traditions with our little family. We hope all of you had a Christmas as merry as ours!