Santa came!!

Santa must have been here a loooong time unloading all these special goodies!!
Here's all the big kid stockings at my parents house (My Mom, my Dad, my bro, my sis, my bro-in-law, Doug and me...and Beau and Ashley). I think they're always so pretty!

The first thing Madeline went to look at (at 5am):

And the little kid stockings:

Madeline woke up around 5 am Christmas morning. Normally, she's great at sleeping in (until around 8 am), but the excitement was just too much for her! My Dad kept her calm and quiet until I woke up around 6:30. Madeline kept running in to look at the pile of presents, but she was very patient to wait for everyone else to wake up. Finally, Marmie came down. Madeline had been looking forward to giving this present to Marmie for weeks, and she asked her right away if she would open it. We decided she Madeline had been waiting so patient all morning, we'd go ahead and let one gift be opened a little early :)

This was a picture of a tractor that Madeline painted. We love the details she added like the smoke coming from the top of the tractor. Marmie loved it! And Madeline loved that Marmie loved it :)

Finally, everyone awoke and we heading into the living room to start the festivities.

Ethan just followed his big sister's lead:

...and loved the outcome!! Toy Story 3:

Mommy and Daddy got Ethan some new Cars cars:

Madeline and Ethan (and Daddy) got a nice addition to their Lego collection:

Funny girl!

Doug has wanted a panini press for well over a year now. He seriously would talk about it on a daily basis. And when we would visit my parents, he would drool over theirs and read their panini press cookbook cover to cover. Well, they surprised him with his very own!!

One of Madeline's favorite gifts was her "new bed." It's a cot that folds up nicely and packs into a little bag she can carry.

After all the gift opening, the kids needed a snow break:

Then we headed back in to check out want Santa left in the stockings.

Madeline got a new back-scratcher!!

Ethan is checking out Daddy's new Lego gadgets:

Ethan kept carrying each of his things over to show Marmie:

Apparently his new pants were too big...but it didn't stop him from playing:

My brother Joe arrived after Stocking Time, and shortly after my cousin Andrew and his girlfriend Emmie arrived:

Uncle Joe got Madeline a new Princess Tiana book for her Tag!

And Madeline picked out this little thing for Uncle Joe. It's a little penguin that "lays" little pieces of chocolate (use your imagination and you'll understand why Joe finds it so funny). Uncle Joe LOVED it!! We think it was his favorite gift of the year!

I racked my brain for something I could sew Joe for Christmas. It was my goal this year to hand make all of our gifts. However, sewing items for med proved to be much of a challenge! This was sort of the only thing I could come up with. It's a case to hold his laptop. Of course, he could use it to hold anything (which I'll be curious to know if he ever does):

And the brat had the nerve to start to turn it inside out to check my work!!

A little bit later, we walked next door to visit with my Gram for a little bit. She would be heading over to my Aunt and Uncles and we would be going over to Doug's Aunt and Uncle's, but we wanted to make sure we squeezed in a visit on Christmas Day:

It was an amazing day thus far full of countless blessings...and the day was not nearly over...

Getting Ready for Santa

As soon as we got home from Christmas Eve dinner with the Harkins', Madeline and Ethan got on their Christmas pj's and started fixing a plate for Santa and his reindeer:
Madeline wanted carrots (organic, of course) for the reindeer:

Pouring just enough milk:

Mmm Mmm Mmm

No, Ethan wasn't trying to eat them...just talking about them. They were bouncing with excitement at getting Santa's plate ready!

Then off to bed they went. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep because it had been such a full, fun day. As soon as they were fast asleep....Santa came:

Christmas Eve 2010

We took the 10 hour drive up to Maryland two days before Christmas. It was actually not too bad of a drive. The kids knew where they were going and understood the ropes. Ethan would repeatedly say, "Go see Beau Ashley!" (my parents two dogs). During our last stop on the way, we had trouble getting Ethan back into his car seat so we said, "Comeon! Let's go see Beau and Ashley! We're almost there!" Well, that was it...he was in that car seat faster than I've ever seen him!
First thing the next morning, my Dad took Ethan to take Beau for a walk...he couldn't have been happier:
And later that day, Madeline and Ethan helped my Dad fill the bird feeder:

Ethan loved this decorated tree my parents had out front. He'd stare at it each time he went outside:

After naptime, we went next door to visit my Grandmother. The kids were excited to give her her gifts (why wait until Christmas?!?!):

Madeline is telling Great-Gram all about the blanket she helped sew for her. Madeline really wanted to sew a blanket, so I let her pick out fabric with which to make one. After working very hard on it, I had her decide who it would be a Christmas present for. I ran down a long list of our family and friends...and she decided, Great Gram! The blanket is probably only big enough to keep Great Gram's feet warm....but it's the thought that counts, right?

...and Ethan just played with the walker:

Gram with her Granddaughter and Great Granddaughter:

My cousin, Andrew, came by to visit while we were there. Madeline was so excited to have another "kid" there so she asked him to play ring-around-the-rosey. And of course, Andrew did:

Madeline was laughing so hard! They even played a few rounds of hide-and-seek. Andrew really got a kick out of a 4-year-old's version of hiding and seeking.

Once some of the other family started showing up, Great Gram gave the kids a present to open. Ethan got this cool truck:

and some roller skates!!

And Madeline was beside herself with all her new arts and crafts things!

Just as much as she enjoyed opening her own presents, she enjoyed watching others open theirs. She brought her Great Uncle Kevin his presents from My Gram, and watched him open them:

My cousin Andrew (yes, a mature one) and my cousin Will:

Madeline took care of the trash:

Me and my Aunt Kris:

My Gram and my Uncles:

My Gram with 8 of her (17) grandchildren, 1 (of 3) great-grandchildren...and my Aunt Kris (she just has to be the center of attention):

After visiting with the family for a little bit, we went to Mass at Our Lady of the Fields. IT...WAS...PACKED! but we loved the service! It was their teen-mass so the music was right up our ally. After a wonderful service, we hopped in the car again to drive to Christmas Eve dinner with the Harkins' family. This year it was held at P.F.Changs. Everything was delicious! Not surprisingly, Ethan ate everything. Here he is enjoyed a lettuce wrap and some calamari:

Aunt Rhonda and Uncle Ryan gave Ethan this cool McQueen car for Christmas. He spent some of dinner, walking around collecting donations. Here he is enjoying some Pez and trying to keep Christopher from snatching any!

Aunt Clairanne loves Madeline and really enjoys talking with her. Here, Madeline was telling her all about her new Cinderella doll:

Doug's cousin Rachel, with a dessert-faced Madeline:

We were disappointed at first to find out that our Christmas Eve dinner would not be held at a habachi grill, but we ended up loving the evening we had at P.F.Changs. It's awesome that so much of the family can all get together to talk and enjoy a meal together...we look forward to this every year and are so thankful it can take place :)

After dinner, we headed back to my parents home to prepare their house for Santa.

Our 1st Gingerbread House

While grocery shopping one day, Madeline saw a kit to make a gingerbread house and, of course, really wanted it. We had yet to make one as a family, so decided this would be the year! Daddy and the kids worked hard putting it together:

Very proud of their work:

Looks a little haunted, but we love it :)