Christmas in PA 2009

We'll be traveling to New Jersey on Wednesday to spend Christmas with my family and then leaving on the 26th for about a week in Florida to see Grandpa G, CC, all the aunts, uncles, and cousins and especially Maggie and Billy for their wedding! So, we'll be away for Christmas this year and it will be such fun to see everyone and spend time with family and friends.

So, as usual for those years we travel over the actual holiday, we had an early Christmas in PA this weekend with just our little family of five. Honestly, we could not have picked a better day. We had our first BIG snowstorm on Saturday so it was nice to be trapped inside celebrating the Christmas season with a winter wonderland happening outside. And, of course, it was so much fun this year having three little ones to celebrate with. Christmas through a child's eyes is always so joyful and magical!

Here is our decorated tree, laden with gifts from Mommy and Daddy, each other, Grandpa G and CC (since we'll be in FL after Christmas day) and Aunt Catherine. So do you think we are spoiled yet since we get to open gifts from so many people a week early?!?! :)

We have the Elf on a Shelf set, which, if you are not familiar with it, is a story about one of Santa's elves who comes to live with his new family over the Christmas season to make sure the kids are being nice and not naughty. Each night, the elf - which comes with the book - returns to Santa to give his report and then comes back the next day to the house, hidden in a new location. So, our elf - Thomas - "hides" in a new location every night and the kids run around each morning looking for him. It's a lot of fun...go and get your Elf on a Shelf if you don't have one yet :).

Here's Thomas. On Saturday, he "hid" on the mantle to watch the festivities. None of our gifts were from Santa since we tell the kids that he will know where they will be on Christmas morning and will leave all of their things there instead of at our house early. So, Thomas sent a report to Santa of what the kids received so that there are no duplicates in a few days :)

Here's Nate opening up something....what could it be?

It's Legos...his favorite!

Wow, it's a remote controlled airplane!! Nate's our little pilot. He loves anything that flies.

And box #3 contains....matching personalized pajamas from G and CC! So cute! OK, so not the best picture in the world...but the best one we got. Ben is still in his "I will not smile on cue" phase and Nate is starting to enter it, too, unfortunately. Poor Abby was stuck in the middle of the two Grinches :)

So after the frustrating experience of trying to get the boys to take a nice Christmas photo with their sister, I decided to move on to more smiley subjects :)

Miss Abigail in her Abby pj's.







Nate is a bit revived and decided to take a break to streak through the house in his new jammies. Here he is, back to his usual silly self.



And here he is using the new lacing beads. Yes, we bought beads for our boys. They love to string things!

And what would a photoshoot be without some cheesy smiles from the almost 4-year-old! Here's Ben in a series of his best cheesy smile. These ones are for you, G and CC, since he is opening and playing with your gifts. Looks like he is enjoying the gifts. He couldn't be bothered with smiling for a photo when there are fun things to play with instead!

Wow, it's a chainsaw....just like Daddy has!

And a power sander and flashlight, just like Dad, too!

Lemme try these things on and get to work. And so the Mad Chainsaw Operator is born. Our coffee table was "sawed in half" and, of course, Nate was also "sawed in half" a few times!! At least he is wearing his safety goggles, right? :)

Wow, this calls for a really cheesy smile when interrupted - 2 sets of "real" Lego construction vehicles! (now go away, Mom, and let me look at my new toys!!)

So now that Abby is cranky and up for a nap, the two boys decided that they'd sit for a Christmas photo in their jammies. Still a bit serious, but not as Scrooge-like as earlier! :)
Aww, Nate and his two new puppet friends. He just loves our puppet show and thinks it's hysterical when I make them talk to him. The newest members of our cast: a chef and a fireman!

The boys and their Santa sacks!

Whatd'ya got in there, Nate?


We had a wonderful and festive start to our Christmas week and will have many more pictures to post when we return from our travels to NJ and FL. So stay tuned :). Until then, may all of you have a healthy, happy and peaceful Christmas celebrating Christ's birth and a joyous New Year. We will see you in 2010!