Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!

After a grueling airport "adventure", involving:

- 15 min delays that turned into 6 hrs
- A canceled flight
- A change in airlines so we could make it to our destination
- Running across Chicago's airport to make a tight connection with a stroller, a carseat, 3 duffels, 2 backpacks, and two tots in toe
- AND an eventual arrival at Reagan National Airport.

... we finally made it to "Joe's house" as Connor calls it. I cannot begin to express how nice it was to spend the holidays with my family this year. I enjoyed every minute and relished in the fact that hopefully we will live somewhat closer before long. Both Connor and Bella received endless attention and their eternal motors lived up to it all (well Connor's did). There is just something magical about being in your childhood home for Christmas reminiscing in all that magic and seeing your little ones take it all in.

I was more than excited to venture out to see the play the Christmas Carol at our local theater, the Weinberg Center, and loved the whole event of it. I remember seeing the Nutcracker Ballet every year with my Dad as a little girl at the Weinberg Center, a tradition of ours; it was fun going back and picturing that little girl all dressed up and filled with excitement.

With such a short break it wasn't long before we were baking cookies and getting ready for Christmas.
Christmas Eve always consists of the family nativity play, listening to my Dad read The Night Before Christmas and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and watching The Grinch Movie (while the elves work). Uncle Joe taught Connor all about leaving milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. It was a night full of anticipation.





Christmas Morning always seems to go by too fast. I think I was the first one awake just like when I was a girl. There is a saying "I used to think being a kid on Christmas was the best thing ever, but it turns out having kids on Christmas is." I love that and it is so true, especially as my kid's get a little older and start to really feel the magic of it all. We waited for everyone to wake up and it wasn't too long before it was time to have all the kids rush down the stairs to stockings and then the tree. Connor and Bella were smitten with the stockings right off and the presents just didn't seem to compare to all those treats, so it was hard to get the unwrapping done when they were begging for chocolate. It wasn't long until they got the picture tho. And were ready to see what Santa had brought them. 

Bella was more than a little overwhelmed by it all and was consistently obsessed with the stocking treasures, Connor loved unwrapping and discovering his new toys ... along with that of Joseph's. Sufficed to say Christmas morning was accompanied with tantrums and cuddles.

'

I was in love with watching these two play together after all the excitement,

And before long ... Bella was wiped. 

Our Annual Family New Year's Eve Party, was filled with games, , finger foods, watching the ball drop, midnight kisses, sparkling cider, laughter, and sleepy tots. New Year's Day we enjoyed the Rose Parade and started on some not so fun packing.

Our way home was much less hectic but exhausting nonetheless. We were fortunate to have snoozers most of the trip, and movies came in handy for the rest of it. All of us were more than happy to snuggle up in bed and sleep deeply with dreams of all those we already were missing.