We decked the halls a little differently this year and the tree found its home in a new spot. The nutcrackers stood at attention nearby and that corner of the house felt very cozy.
Last night we went to Midnight Mass and took a few photos on a timer. That always allows for some fun outtakes.
Christmas morning was slow and easygoing. We had our traditional crock pot steel cut oatmeal with fixings for breakfast and lounged in pajamas for most of the morning while we opened gifts.
It was fun to surprise the kids. Take this tank, for example. We bought it during the summer at the gas station we stop at every time we drive to Camp Ondessonk. Mason had his eye on it then but we poo-pooed it as unnecessary. Gotcha, Mason!
Walker’s big gift isn’t tangible but we hope to fill his head with adventure this summer when he heads to camp in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Walker chose some really thoughtful gifts for Mason, including a new controller for his Nintendo switch.
Aunt Rachel gave us beautiful new cross stitched ornaments. They get more beautiful each year.
Then Walker opened a puzzling envelope of clues. We pieced them together to reveal the legs of our Spring break journey. Bill surprised us all with a fantastic trip here.
Though I received many, many wonderful gifts (too many to show) one of my favorites was the result of the trip Bill and Walker took after Thanksgiving to Louisville. Trader Joe’s offered a mystery reusable bag pack. In case you didn’t know, Trader Joe’s has regional shopping bags and I’m a big fan of both bags and TJ’s.
In keeping with our smart home, the boys treated Bill to a video doorbell and a smart deadbolt. These should be interesting additions to our house, if we are smart enough to install them.
Christmas was incredibly relaxing and family-centered. We hope yours was as well. Merry, merry to you and yours!
Such special memories!