Christmas!

Oh my goodness!  Christmas came and went so fast this year!  We had the best time...but I'm really sad it's over.  I already miss the twinkle lights and carols.  Sigh.  I'll be ok.  

Prepare yourself for a lot of Christmas cheer...

We always kick off our Christmas with Christmas Eve Eve (Andrew's favorite day of the year...seriously!).  This year, Andrew came home from work really early and we decorated our gingerbread house together...

My little crew did a great job on our house :).  

After house decorating, we headed to dinner (because this mama doesn't cook on Christmas Eve Eve!).

Andrew tried to teach Kensington how to balance a spoon on her nose...but she showed him that it's really quite simple...you just lean your head all the way back :).

On Christmas Eve morning, we woke up and stayed cozy all morning.  We watched two Christmas movies, ate a yummy breakfast and snuggled until it was time to go to Lovie and Papa Jay's house.

We arrived at Lovie's all ready to party!

I showed Smith Santa's Sleigh on NORAD and he was obsessed!  He stayed in my mom's office all night watching it fly.  He was too cute for words!

After we ate dinner and most of our extended family headed home, we decided to build some more gingerbread houses (or I decided to just eat the candy and watch them...).

Poppy Popsicle was worn out!

Before bed, we left cookies and milk for Santa.  Andrew kept telling the kids that Santa would really like iced tea and chicken breasts...but they didn't listen.  So, Santa (who has a very clean diet in my house!) ate the cookies and drank the milk :).  And yes...every table top in my mom's house is pretty amazing...she's an interior designer after all :).

This sums up Christmas morning!  They were thrilled!!!

During our present opening, they required a snack to get them to brunch.  It's a lot of work opening gifts!

C and I said we look Biblical in our awesome new robes!  Seriously...these robes are the softest things I've ever felt!  I wore it all day.  And most of the next day too.  Love it!

Our little Ninja Turtle!

My dad has a journal for Ashby London and we all wrote her note on Christmas morning.  I am praying she's with us next Christmas!  I am so thankful for the sweet notes from my parents and grandparents to our newest daughter.

The big deal this year was that Santa brought the kids bikes!

We packed up all of our goodies, headed home from Lovie's and got re-packed to head to Missouri the following morning (I'm still exhausted from all of it!).

Here we all are bright and early the next morning making the 6 hour drive to Missouri!

I'm so glad I married this Missouri boy :).

The best part about Missouri is hanging out with Andrew's brother's family.  These are the 4 Shull grandkids...soon, there will be five :).

Brode (7), Kensington (5), Smith, (almost 4), Sylvia (4)

She asked to have her picture taken with these lovely fake flowers...I obliged :).

At our favorite candy house in Joplin!  We love it here!!

Sweet boy XOXO

My favorite part of our Missouri trip?  The hours I spent sitting in this big chair with my babies.  We were eating the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charm box and being goofy.  Love her.

Whew!  I am tired!  We had such a wonderful Christmas but it's so good to be home and back in our normal (somewhat...that whole New Years thing throws me off) routine.

Don't forget, we have Meal Planning Monday today here and the perfect New Year's Eve dessert here.  

It's my Pink Champagne Bundt Cake!

Happy Monday!