We hosted Christmas Eve dinner for the Fleming and Lamb families. It was potluck style, the spread was fan-freaking-tastic! Homemade potato skins, Alex's pasta salad, green salad, bbq brisket sliders, coconut chicken tender bites, cranberry salsa, spinach artichoke dip, and more yummy appetizer-style fare. Supplemented by a cookie bar with homemade hand-decorated Christmas cookies and other treats my students gave me. Before dinner, we headed out to Deerfield to check out the lights. There were LOTS of life-size mechanical Santas and one light show that was synched to music you could tune your car radio to hear. It was amazing! The snow was the best part. (That and the yard that Alex and I snuck into to pose with the wooden life-size carolers, hehe)
We followed up by dinner and some family pictures, then headed to bed to get ready for Santa. When Cade woke up Christmas morning, 7:00am (Good boy Cade!) He could feel the excitement, the snow out his window was the best part for him, he loved the bright white sunshine coming into his nursery. For a kid who's never experienced Christmas, he sure got it down right from the start!
He was so thrilled, I think maybe his face in this pic is a reflection of ours. I had to drag Nick out of bed I was so pumped to start the day! The snow was a miracle. I really think our guardian angels pulled some strings to hook us up with some snow in Dallas on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. It was gorgeous, soft blankets in the yard. We did leave out milk and cookies for Santa...proof that he was here!
The most gifts we've ever seen under a tree. It was stunning to see them all wrapped and ready to go! We definitely felt blessed to have so many family and friends to give to.
A close-up on the enticing gifts...Thank God they survived until Christmas morning. You never know between an 8 month old and a curious dog just which packages will survive, but they all made it! Momma's good good boy and girl.
Daddy and Cade on Christmas morning with the dragon Santa bought Cade. He snuggled it right to his face just after this picture, it was so sweet. 
It is hard to believe this time last year we were tying a big bow around my prego belly and dreaming of how fun this Christmas would be. Although it was an emotional holiday season, the joy of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year was amazing. To me it was like experiencing my very first Christmas, it was so new to get to do Christmas with a baby. It really brings you more closer to your faith to feel that kind of love on Christmas.
We opened stockings and some gifts at home first thing in the morning as we drank coffee. Our rumbling stomachs had to wait patiently for the roads to clear a little from the snow and ice from Christmas Eve before we headed to Lolli & Papa's (Nick's parents). It was nice to get some extra time to enjoy the stockings and watch Cade play with some of his gifts. He did need some instruction on unwrapping. It was a little confusing to him to get more than one gift at a time and not get a full chance to play with the first gift before we forced him to open another. Are we totally creating a monster? How lucky are we that we have a kid who's happy with the first gift he saw. His attention was totally about the first gift until we forced him unwrap others. Then he was pretty amused by the tissue paper and bows and boxes, but we SO wanted him to love what we had bought him that we pretty much have set ourselves up for getting cool gifts every year. And to think, he would have just loved the boxes.
We opened stockings and some gifts at home first thing in the morning as we drank coffee. Our rumbling stomachs had to wait patiently for the roads to clear a little from the snow and ice from Christmas Eve before we headed to Lolli & Papa's (Nick's parents). It was nice to get some extra time to enjoy the stockings and watch Cade play with some of his gifts. He did need some instruction on unwrapping. It was a little confusing to him to get more than one gift at a time and not get a full chance to play with the first gift before we forced him to open another. Are we totally creating a monster? How lucky are we that we have a kid who's happy with the first gift he saw. His attention was totally about the first gift until we forced him unwrap others. Then he was pretty amused by the tissue paper and bows and boxes, but we SO wanted him to love what we had bought him that we pretty much have set ourselves up for getting cool gifts every year. And to think, he would have just loved the boxes.
We did end up at Lolli's for breakfast part 2 and then TONS of gifts. Of course the person who won't remember getting the most got the most. But we had to remind Cousin Michael that big boy gifts are expensive, thus it's less about quantity than quality. Pretty tough for a big kid to realize as we pile 50 presents in front of the drooling baby. Howev, the big kid got a freaking bazooka for all I know, that dart gun was GINORMOUS. And Cade will never own one. I've decided. I am working on submitting a Veto Letter for Santa just in case Cade ever asks for one and I don't know about it. Hell...no.
So after Lolli's we headed to my parents' house to see Grammie & Grandaddy, Aunt Shanon, Cousin Garrett, and Uncle Alex. As we drove up we noticed a very tall and hilarious snowwoman. With boobs. We immediately decided we needed a family picture. Check out the belly on that baby, the guns on that snowslut, and my hand PRETENDING to hug the snowslut. The rest of the pics speak for themselves.
Okay, the pics don't speak for themselves. My sleeve must have brushed the snowslut, causing her to collapse from the chest down. (This is what happens when you get top-heavy with the implants, ladies). I died. My mom yelled at me to "Fix it Hilaryyyyeeee".... not subtle when you're hoping the neighbors don't come out to see we killed their snowman!!! So as fast as I could I Dr 90210'd her, fixed the wig, and ran to catch up with the fam. Thanks Mom, for taking the last 2 pics.
It was an awesome Christmas, the never-ending Christmas. A white Christmas. A very perfect baby's first Christmas.
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