Wedding Weekend

We headed to Ste. Genevieve for Eric's cousins wedding the last weekend in December.

The highlight of the trip for Elle was staying in a hotel. She always tells us when she's older she is going to live in a hotel. Our room had this window seat and she was in love!

All dressed up and ready for the rehearsal dinner. 

Another thing Elle loves about hotels, going to the lobby and grabbing breakfast in the morning. 

Eric was in the wedding and these two were excited to see him after the wedding. 

A selfie with my boy!

After the ceremony we ran through a drive thru for lunch and back to the hotel room to nap. 

At the reception Elle was ready to dance!

Swinging with daddy and Grandpa Scott.

My two little loves.

The next morning, which was New Year's Eve, I woke feeling just yuck. I could tell I was getting some sort of head cold...that head cold ended up being influenza A for me and Ollie. 

I was knocked DOWN, like barely had the energy to even move! Eric worked that week, had hockey and so it was me and the kiddos. You wanna know who took care of me? My amazing 5 year old baby girl! Truly, she took care of me!

She had my toothbrush all ready for me one night...

and since Ollie was feeling the same she brushed his teeth for me. 

She even went and got my blanket from when I was little and brought it to me in bed.

This little girl amazes me everyday. 

We survived the week and fingers crossed we make it through the rest of flu season healthy!

Christmas Day

Christmas morning...Santa made his stop and just waiting on two little kiddos to wake up.

I am always so excited that I sleep horrible all night because I can't wait for Elle & Ollie to wake up!

Stockings overflowing...a trick I learned from Mama Rita! :)

The calm before the storm. 

Both kids slept in our room and Elle was up first, we made her wait to wake up Ollie and they both walked out to the living room together. 

Elle immediately headed for her doll bunkbeds. They were at the top of her wish list this year!

And Ollie (with a crazy case of bedhead!) was surprised with a Polar Express train!

It was such a fun, slow morning of opening presents, unboxing toys, drinking lots of coffee and eating breakfast.

Out of all his new toys this little Buzz Lightyear was by far the highlight of his morning. 

After a lazy day at our house playing with new toys and watching Christmas movies we headed to mom and dad's for more presents and dinner.

Somehow I have NO pictures of everyone opening presents but I somehow managed to snap the picture below.  Along with completely spoiling our kids with gifts my parents give each kid a tub of new clothes and shoes. Somehow (this is still a mystery to everyone) this blue swimsuit ended up in Elle's tub. We were all dying laughing! And then to add to the entertainment Henry tried it on and ran around the house.

What a way to end a wonderful Christmas day! :)

Christmas Eve

This year while black Friday shopping Mary and I commented on how big of a bummer it is that we don't get to see each other very much on Christmas Eve so I suggested we get the kids together for breakfast and to exchange little presents....and thus Cousin Christmas Breakfast was born.

I LOVED hosting and I think a new tradition has officially started.

Mary, Mom and the boys all came over Christmas Eve morning in their pj's to eat breakfast and the kids all exchanged little gifts. 

After the kids opened presents Elle, Henry and Charlie ran around and played, Mary, Mom and I ate breakfast and chatted and Ollie tried his hardest to load his pez dispenser by himself. 

And it snowed all during our breakfast which just capped the morning off with more Christmas magic. 

After everyone left we had a lazy day...hanging out, looking at Christmas cards and watching movies.

And for me, cleaning. It is a HIGH priority that our house is clean for Christmas morning. Which makes no sense since the house is ready to be littered with wrapping paper and toy boxes. But for whatever reason that's just the way my mind operates.

That afternoon we headed to church.

Christmas Eve excitement with your cousins is probably the best thing ever!

Next we were off for Hylton family Christmas!

Santa had made an early stop at Grandma Chris's house with books and coloring books for the kiddos.

Chris is reading the girls a book in the picture below and Ollie is getting every single knick knack off their TV table. It's what he does when at Grandma Chris's house.

After a fun night with the Hylton's we headed home to get ready for Santa's arrival!

I had asked Elle earlier in the week if we should bake cookies for Santa and she decided he would probably rather have our favorite gooey butter cookies from Schnucks. I guess she doesn't trust our baking skills. #shesright

Elle made reindeer food at school so these two headed outside to quickly throw some into the yard.

Milk for Santa...check

Cookies...check

Carrots...check

Elle requested "carrots with the green stuff on top" for the reindeer. :)

Look how excited she is!!!

The end to a fun day...and so excited to see what Christmas morning brings!

Leading Up to Christmas

The last few days leading up to Christmas were spent packing in as much fun as we could, savoring our final days with all our twinkle lights and Christmas trees and getting ready for Santa's arrival!

Our elves brought gingerbread houses for these two and they were ready to assemble them after nap time!

Christmas pj's...check!

Christmas books...check!

Snuggled up in Sissy's bed...check!

The Friday before Christmas we headed to Six Flags for Holidays in the Park.

It was COLD but we managed to ride some kiddie rides, visit Santa, see a show about Jesus being born and grab a funnel cake and hot chocolate before leaving due to freezing rain.

One last talk with Santa before the big night!

On December 23rd & 24th it snowed which just sent my Christmas excitement into overdrive!

Can every Christmas be a white Christmas, pretty please?!