Christmas 2014

We started Christmas Eve this year with a normal Hylton tradition...racing out the door to Christmas Eve mass.  We went to mass at the old church and met the rest of the family.  The pew was a little tight so Eric ended up standing in the back and Elle and I went to sit with everyone.  Church was a little bumpy for Elle.  All was good until she started eating the candy cane I had been promising her all day.  I started to worry about her choking so I bit off the hook and she screamed "mommy, no eat my candy cane!!" during a silent part of mass.  Lovely, put all eyes on the large pregnant lady for eating a poor little toddlers candy cane.  Soon after she went into a meltdown so to the back of the church we went to find daddy. :)

I love this picture of Bear watching the big kids run around.  Looks like he is dying to join them!

After mass we all went in separate directions.  We headed to Eric's parents, Mary and Nick headed to the Voss family Christmas and Mom, Dad and Will headed out for some appetizers.

I don't have any pictures from the Hylton Christmas, Elle was a little clingy so taking pictures would have been a little tricky.  We had dinner and then opened presents.  Elle got a balance bike, some new books, clothes and shoes.

Next we headed home to put out her treats for Santa and the reindeer.  Eric swears Elle told him we need to leave out a beer for the reindeer...I'm suspicious. :) We ended up leaving him the cookies we made and a coke in a glass bottle.  I have said for years that when we have kids Santa will get an old fashioned coke at our house.

We put our little Christmas babe to bed and got to work.  Santa had everything ready to go so it didn't take long.  My elf had been assembling everything for a few weeks. :)

Christmas morning was so much fun!  I was so excited for Elle to get up that I think I ended up waking her.  The first thing she went for was her pony, Buddy.

The kitchen was a close second, she played with that all morning.

We opened presents and listened to Christmas music.  One of my favorite presents was from Eric and Elle.  They each picked out an Alex & Ani bracelet for me.  Elle picked out one with a pink charm.  She is so proud of those bracelets and I love that Eric included her in shopping and picking things out.  Overall, it was such a fun relaxing morning,

Next we headed to mom and dad's for more present opening...Mom and Dad seriously spoil these babies!

Henry had a bit of a stomach bug so him and Mary skipped the Voss Christmas day celebrations and laid around mom and dad's house with us all day.  Most of took naps and laid around.  Eric was on a bloody Mary kick so he drank and played video games with Will all afternoon before we all sat down for Christmas dinner.

The day flew by but it was so much fun!  We all went home to rest because the next day we were invited by Santa to ride the Polar Express to his house at the North Pole!!!