Christmas 2011

This was the first Christmas in our marriage that we did not travel somewhere over the holiday which we found very bitter-sweet.Ir was sweet establishing traditions for our little family and having a quiet Christmas, but bitter in that we missed celebrating the holiday with each of our families. If we hadn't had my parents come out at the beginning of the month I am sure that I would have had a much harder time not traveling to see them and celebrate with them. Christmas day was a long day.It went somewhat like this:

We got up at 5:30 in the morning to do presents with daddy before he left for work
We took a nap
I packed up the kids and we went to church
Took another nap
Packed up the kids again and drove to Nampa for dinner at the fire station
Came home and went to bed.

By the end of the night I was beyond exhausted. Between being up til 2:30 Christmas eve and getting up at 5:30 I was beat. Add that to getting 2 kids ready to leave the house twice and nursing and caring for the baby and feeding the toddler it was quite the day. Despite it all it was wonderful, the only thing that could have made it better was being able to share it with those we love...maybe next year huh? Our little reindeer one with the blinking nose and one without...
Makena's first Christmas...4 1/2 months old

We had to get creative with how to hang the stockings since I didn't get the stocking hanger I had planned on making done.
Our tree just hours before we opened all the presents...so beautiful.