Christmas

    Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year and I look forward to it so much.  We have so many fun traditions and it is truly a magical time of year.  I am so blessed to have my immediate family so close by and that we get to spend it all together.
    We spent all of Christmas at my parent's house enjoying spending quality time with family.  The kids are at such a fun age for Christmas.  All the build up and the joy on their faces on Christmas morning is absolutely priceless.  I wish it would last forever.
   As usual Santa was very good to all the kids, so I guess that means that they were really good this year.  The older three kids got Hatchimals from Santa.  They were the hot toy this year and they were so excited to see that Santa fulfilled their wishes. Gracie got a doll which she was very happy about.  They got many other gifts and were all very happy that day.
   We had another great Christmas full of lots of family time and great memories to cherish for many years.   We ate lots of yummy food and shared a lot of laughter.  It was the perfect Christmas!

Our Christmas card this year

Dawson and Graceyn went to see Santa

Christmas Eve dinner

My brother and Ashlyn doing their yearly tradition of putting out reindeer food for the reindeer

Holding Santa's milk

Putting out the milk and cookies

Our attempt at getting a good shot of all three kids in their matching pajamas

Such a silly bunch we have

The tree waiting for Santa to come

Santa must have been hungry!

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All the loot Santa left

Dawson checking out what Santa left

Love that sweet smile

Ashlyn was very happy with her Hatchimal

Checking to see what was left in his stocking

The girls trying out their new mermaid tail blankets

Gracie sipping some egg nog

Christmas is always very chaotic at our house

My brother got a Nintendo NES and the kids had a blast playing old video games

Elf

  Right after Thanksgiving, out very mischievous elf, Eddy Buddy showed up.  The kids were so excited to see him again.  The kids were very happy he was able to find them at our new house.  He was mischievous as usual this year.  I wasn't the best at taking pictures of his antics this year, but here are a few that we got.

He always makes his entrance very well known

A special breakfast he brought one morning

Ashlyn lost a tooth one day, so she was so excited to see that the tooth fairy and the elf posed for a picture while she was sleeping.  

The tooth fairy left a note explaining she didn't know who the elf was at first, so she tied him up  with floss.  

This one was pretty cute

Always making messes

My Birthday

   I recently celebrated another birthday. It is amazing how time flies.  I swear just yesterday I was turning 21 years old.  I have come to realize that getting older is a good thing. Birthdays should be celebrated and welcomed and not dreaded.  It signifies that I have made it another year and spent another year with those I love and cherish.  That is definitely something to celebrate.
    I had a very special birthday this year.  I went out to lunch with my sister, mom, and the kids.  We went to a yummy Mexican place.  After lunch, my mom was super nice to take the kids and my sister and I went for massages.  I got to spend 90 minutes relaxing and enjoying an amazing massage.  It was exactly what I needed!
  For dinner, we went to Carrabas and it was excellent.  I haven't been there since we went for my birthday last year.  I love that place and need to go more often.  After dinner, we went back to my house for cake and presents.  Joey always gets me a chocolate mousse cake from Marigolds that is excellent.  Family members who don't like chocolate (crazy, I know), even go crazy for this cake.  It is that good.
  I had the perfect birthday spent with those I love and cherish more than anything.

My amazing cake

Ashlyn and Auntie hanging out

Cake time

Dawson was a fan

Gracie eating her cake

Ashlyn is a fan too