Merry Christmas...a month late!

I can't even believe I am just now posting about Christmas. 

I have been having so much fun posting on my new blog Becoming Sensible that I am lettng this blog slide.

This year I thought a lot about what I want Christmas to be like for our family.  Last year we were just so excited to have Mia and she was so young that the gifts didn't matter.  I always watch other families spend lots of money on gifts and talk about how stressful it was to find all the things their kids wanted and just decided this will not be us.  I don't want to stress over Christmas shopping and worry about money during this season. I want to focus on Jesus during Christmas and teach our children the real reason for the season.  Yes, we love Santa and will have fun seeing our kid's faces light up over gifts too, but that is not what is important and not what we will focus on.

This year we made a point of doing things for others.  For the first time, we took Christmas cookies to all of our neighbors as a family all bundled up one evening- it was so fun!  We looked at Christmas lights, we sang carols in the car, we made homemade gifts to thank people who have taken care of our family, we visited Santa, we donated 15 shoeboxes to Operation Christmas child...we did things that mattered to us.  It's hard not to get wrapped up in buying gifts like crazy during the Christmas season, but that is not what I want my kids to remember.

Next year will be even more important as Mia will be able to participate in giving more.  I have already started a list of easy, meaningful traditions that I want our family to participate it.

Our pastor at church talked about how a lot of people get to the end of the season and think....wait, I missed it!  I didn't want that to be us this year, and for once, it wasn't.  I don't think we missed IT this year!  This year I really enjoyed the whole Christmas season. 

I was sad to take down decorations and put the tree on the curb.

Our tiny little tree this year with Mia's gift from Santa- a baby doll, stroller and diaper bag full of goodies.

Nana Debbie and Poppi sent yummy treats in their package... of course, Mia had to have a Reese's on Christmas morning- she thought that was delicious!

 A Christmas morning mess.

 Some of Mia's gifts- a baby from Santa, a pony from Aunt Rach, a sock monkey from Uncle Joe and a cabbage patch newborn from Nana Brenda and Grandpa.  She got a toothbrush in her stocking so she is brushing her baby's teeth.

After we had our little family Christmas, we went to my parents house in the afternoon for brunch and gifts.

Mia enjoyed opening gifts this year.  The problem was that once she opened one, she just wanted to play with it instead of opening another one.

 My new sweater from Amanda

Mia loves her new baby!  She makes it cry (she says waaa and makes a sad face) and then gives the baby her paci.  It's so cute!

Nana and Papa (my parents) gave Mia and Harrison their own wagons.  You can't imagine how much fun this gift was.  They didn't even know it could move, but they just loved crawling in and out of it.

We still have ours sitting in our livingroom and Mia plays in it EVERY day!

Here is what goes on behind the scenes...Amanda is trying to take a picture while the rest of us are trying to get the babies to look in the same direction at the same time and maybe if we're lucky- smile!

Harrison got new bath toys in his stocking- so the babies had to try them out in Nana and Papa's big tub!

Their first of many baths together.

We ended the night watching The Christmas Story, of course. 

Mia didn't sit like this for long, but it was sure cute while it lasted...



We had a very Merry Christmas this year- it was actually kind of fun to relive it while I wrote this post!