On Christmas Eve Eve, we went to my in laws for our annual Steak & Seafood dinner. The kids spent the night and we joined everyone the next morning for breakfast and gift opening. Gift opening at my in laws is always nice and slow, so it spreads out all morning long--I love it! We spent the rest of the day hanging out before going to Christmas Eve church service.
After church, we came back to the lake to open their gift from the elves {PJ's, a Christmas movie, & snack} and then set out milk & cookies, spread reindeer food {half got dumped in the entry way before we made it outside and the other half landed in a big pile in the driveway, so spreading may not be the most accurate term! haha!}, and read The Night Before Christmas & Santa is Coming to Iowa before tucking the kids into bed so Santa's Elves {mom, dad, & Grandpa Dean} could spend the next 2.5 hours putting together Jordyn's doll house and preparing for Christmas morning.
Christmas morning started nice and slow, it was almost 8a when the kids woke. Adam started a fire and I turned on the Christmas music. With the exception of snow & missing Murdock, it was a perfect Christmas morning! We kept the gifts minimal, as we always have, Something you Want, Something you Need, Something to Wear, & Something to Read plus a Santa gift & stocking. Both kids will super excited about Jordyn's doll house, and Cullyn loved his guitar from Santa. Each of them got a new book and a nice sleeping bag. Cullyn got an adorable Dinosaur costume from Land of Nod, and Jordyn a gorgeous, hand-made Super costume from Etsy {Which she immediately took out of the box, tossed aside, and dramatically informed me she would never wear--AWESOME!} Other than that, Jordyn got some clothes that she needed and a dollbed that she wanted and Cullyn a racetrack and more cars.
As soon as the gifts were opened, we packed up and headed to my parents for the rest of the weekend. We opened presents Friday night and all made out very well! We got new seat covers for the Jeep and I got a Steamer. The kids got all kinds of stuff from shoes to lunchboxes to games and Magnatiles & TEGU blocks.
That night, we had a steak dinner and our neighbors came over for games and cocktails. The next morning we got up and visited my Grandma Laura for a bit before heading to my mom's family for our big 'Jordan Family Christmas' where we had our annual grab bag game which always provides hours of laughs.
That night we went back to my parents and played more games {like Heads Up, which the girls dominated} and Canadian Salad. The next morning Adam and I left to start moving & painting the new house before the storm came. The kids stayed with my parents until New Year's Eve, when they brought them to the new house! :)
