Christmas Morning

We had a wonderful Christmas morning this year. It was very different than in years past, in that this was the first year we were in our own home on Christmas morning (loved that) and it was also our first Christmas where we were on our own and without family (missed that). We made cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve and read from the scriptures about the Savior's birth and watched the Nativity. The girls got to open matching matching pajamas (Christmas Monkeys!) and wear them to bed. We then went outside to see if we could spot Santa's sleigh before heading to bed (WE DID!). Ella was so excited she started shaking in my arms and declared that we must go to bed before he gets here!

Christmas morning Maggie was awake just after 7, but Ella didn't wake up until 8am! We were shocked and Brad, Maggie and I were dying for her to wake up! Since we had no where else to go we really took our time opening presents. We made a point to let the girls open a present and play with it for a while instead of being rushed onto the next. It was really fun to do that and made all the gifts seem that much more special to our girls. We didn't finish opening presents until about 11am--and we didn't really have that many! I made my Mom's Christmas orange rolls for breakfast and we all chowed down on way too many of those.

Santa brought each of our girls 3 presents on Christmas morning, just like the wiseman brought baby Jesus three gifts. Ella got a laptop, a baby high-chair, and some games from Santa. Maggie was given a little toy doggie to pull around, a sit'n'spin, and a little train. The girls were of course spoiled by the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins as well!

I was very pleased that the girls seemed to like each other's toys as much as their own. While it did make for some hard times when each wanted to play with the newly opened present at the same time, I am glad I feel like these presents will all get used very well--I guess that is what happens when you have 2 girls less than 2 years apart!

This Christmas was so magical for us, each year seems to be more and more fun as the girls get older. I hope it will continue to be that way and that the magic is always there!



Reading the letter Santa left them--Maggie was crushed that I asked her not to have another cookie. That girl has such a sweet tooth, just like her Daddy. Maggie's favorite presents were definitely the fruit snacks and laffy taffy in her stocking. I'm sure she would have eaten all of it right then and there if we would have let her, and she wouldn't have cared about opening a single present! We'll have to ask Santa for maybe only one or two treats max in the stocking next year.






We hope you all had a Merry and Magical Christmas!