Christmas Festivities

This year was different than years past for one reason. It was our first official Christmas as residents of Alabama. We have been here for a Christmas before but it was just a vacation so this was new for us. It was the first year we didn't get to celebrate in person with my side of the family and that was pretty hard for me. Every single year, we have celebrated with my family. We spend the night at my parent's house on Christmas Eve and we spend the whole day together. Since it was all new territory for us this year, this is how it went down:

Christmas Eve was spent here at my MIL's house (aka our house too) and we Skyped with my family while the kids opened their gifts from them. The kids (and us) were spoiled like usual and it was a great Christmas Eve. I opened my one present, Christmas pajamas that us girls get every year from my dad, at the same time as my mom and sister over Skype. We all put them on and took our traditional picture in our new pajamas.

A few days earlier, Brayden helped make gingerbread houses!!

After Skyping with my family, we set out the milk, cookies, and carrots for Santa and his reindeer and the kids were off to bed. They looked so cute in their new pajamas and we got to read their new Christmas stories.

Life is hard when you open presents, get new pajamas and eat a cookie before bed. Oh toddlers!

Once the kids were sleeping Chance and I put out all their gifts and we headed to bed ourselves. It was an early morning since I needed to prep my traditional breakfast sticky roll. The kids were up around 7:00 and they were so excited. Well actually Madison wakes up excited every morning but Brayden was extra excited. We opened gifts, Skyped with my family again, ate breakfast, and played with their new toys. 

My traditional breakfast sticky roll. It was delicious!!

Checking out Santa's footprints!

Officer Brayden.

 Later we headed to hubby's grandma's house for the family celebration. We ate tons of amazing food, the kids got spoiled AGAIN and they played for hours outside in the fresh, crisp air.

(We did not get her a bike. This is a cousin's bike that Madison clearly enjoyed sitting on.)

It was seriously an amazing Christmas even though we weren't with my family. Next year we will most likely be in California for Christmas and try to switch off so everyone gets to spend the holidays with us.