Christmas 2018 was the first year Meredith really remembered and understood who Santa was, and it was so much fun watching her excitement Christmas morning. She kept asking, “Where’s Elfie?” (our resident Elf on the Shelf) and before opening any of her presents, she jumped around exclaiming, “Thank you, Santa! Thank you, Santa!”

Meredith is very vocal about her gratitude!

Eleanor’s first Christmas!

Eleanor got stuck under the presents!

Help!

Everyone was antsy when I didn’t let anyone open presents until we had taken a billion photos of Eleanor by the presents. You only get ONE first Christmas!

Can I be done yet?

Amelia helped Eleanor open a few presents. She loved her new Baby Lit Classic books– Emma and Sense and Sensibility.

Intermission while I put down Elle for her nap. Gift opening resumed once I got back downstairs.

The girls asked Santa for “puppy purses” and the big guy came through.

Meredith is obsessed with hot wheels and play doh.

The fluffiest sleeping bags I’ve ever seen, courtesy of Aunt Sarah and Uncle Mike.

For the grand finale, the girls went on a treasure hunt to find three new bikes outside (one was “new” to Meredith– one of the twins’ old bikes, wrapped up with pretty ribbon!). We took them for a spin immediately. Meredith is pretty good on her strider bike, but this was her first try on a real bike. No training wheels!

She’s still learning, but is making progress.

Amelia and Samantha received upgrades from their old bikes which they were getting too tall for. Instead of going with the next size up, which they would have grown out of within a year or so, we went two sizes up. The new bikes were a touch too tall, but after several rides, they got the hang of them. The hardest part is climbing aboard, since they are a little too short for them, but Grammy taught them how to mount their bikes from the curb. They were so excited to have their first gear bikes!

The kids played all day and were HANGRY for our Christmas feast. Cousin Ben, Great Grandpa, and Auntie Lynn and Uncle Steve joined us for dinner– we made everyone take home tons of leftovers. SO much food.

Auntie Lynn brought the brisket and we did the sides (garlic mashed potatoes, pecan-crusted sweet potatoes, corn bread apple sage and sausage stuffing, regular stuffing, winter salad, cranberry chutney, balsamic glazed brussel sprouts with butternut squash, lemony green beans with almonds and rolls) — YUM!

I ate with the lovelies at the kids table.

My dessert selection included homemade orange cranberry sweet bread, oreo chocolate truffles, peppermint bark, apple pie from the girls’ school fundraiser, and an orange cranberry trifle that took three days to make. Special kudos to Jake for slicing thin strips of orange peel and spending an hour stirring them with sugar on the stove to create the candied orange peel on top!

Sammy enjoyed the truffles a little too much.

Tickle time.

Watching Frosty after dessert.

We had to watch Christmas movies on the lap top since our new built-in was still under construction on Christmas.

Almost ready…

Done except the floor, baseboards and stuff for the shelves.

Meredith’s new hot wheels racing track was a hit. The kids watched the cars go around and around and then… CRASH. Totally mesmerized.

Grammy and Eleanor.

Dominoes was a favorite of Jake’s growing up, but the girls were a little too crazed on sugar and excitement to sit still long enough to play. The cranky girls went straight to bed after a long day!