Best Christmas Ever

Another Christmas has come and gone in a blink of an eye.  So much planning each year to make the Christmas season special, and then it is over so quickly.  We spent the weekend leading up to Christmas at home baking cookies, wrapping last minute gifts, and gathering things to take back to Kirksville with us.
On our Christmas Eve we went to Church that morning, and then Andy got to work with last minute preparations in the basement.  That evening we went to Garozzos for dinner because Briley loves their pizza.  She was so upset when we got there that they had taken it off the menu.  The waiter said it wasn't popular with kids because it had provel cheese on it.  Briley loves provel!  She ended up with mozzarella sticks and said she was going to go home and write them a letter.
Once we were back at home, the kids sprinkled their reindeer food, we set the cookies out, got Christmas pajamas on, and then it was time to open sibling gifts.
It is always a highlight for them to exchange gifts with their siblings.  Briley gave Baylor a slimeball dodgeball game, Baylor gave Atticus a batmobile car, Atticus gave Finley a Christmas Barbie, and Finley gave Briley a stress ball making kit, Dylan's candy bar, a bath bomb, and face mask.  They played for a bit, and then it was time for Twas the Night Before Christmas and bedtime.
The next morning I woke to Briley taking a shower in her room at 5:45a.m.  We told the kids we weren't coming out of our room until 6:45 so they ran around upstairs until we came out.  They quickly broke through the paper, and were at the tree.  Atticus went right to his new tractor while Briley noticed the yarn attached to the tree that led them around the house and then on down to the basement where their new basketball pop a shot was.  They were very excited, and had to try it out before returning upstairs for the rest of the gifts.  I think Briley wins the award for opening her gifts the fastest followed closely by Baylor.  Going to have to do something different next year so they slow down a bit.
Briley was excited to get her coffee house model kit, new book Resistance, perfume, UA shirt, Adidas shoes, a calendar that I made for her, and her last gift was the most exciting for her.  Andy called her new phone, and she went scrambling under the tree to find it.  As much as I am hesitant about the whole phone thing she was so excited to get it.  Now I need to set up rules, and find some sort of a screen time app.
Baylor opened his skateboard so fast that my picture was a blur.  It is the one thing he was really asking for so he was happy.  He quickly had it outside, and was cruising down the sidewalk.  He also got zoobs, Dogman book, trip to Florida with mom and dad for Sully's baptism, Ozobot, bean bag chair for his stuffed animals, and a Cherokee blanket.
Finley's gift from Santa was a Arendelle castle, she also got a Luvabella doll, a tea set, Fancy Nancy book, a VTech watch, a shadow box of her first dance recital, and a lite brite.  She was very excited about everything because that is just how she is. 
Atticus rode his tractor around the house until a hole was put in the wall, and that was that.  It went to the garage.  He also got a new floor puzzle, play doh set, Winnie the Pooh book, and Disney character puppets, and a Mack truck.
After they were done, Andy and I opened ours.  I had one present that was driving Briley crazy because I wrote on the tag "One last look before we leave"  It was a water color print of the capitol from when we went to D.C.  Andy says he always has to get one last look at it at night before he leaves so that is why I wrote it on the tag.  She thought for sure I had planned a trip;)  Speaking of trips, he gave me a trip to California in February.  I can't tell you how excited I am to go to wine country.  Out of all of his trips this one always makes me jealous when he goes for work.  Can't wait to finally see it myself instead of his pictures.
The kids also each gave us gifts that they had made.  Briley gave us a calendar that she had each sibling draw a picture in.  Baylor designed a notepad for us at school, Finley gave us a cute card, ornament, and snowman jar, and Atticus gave us an elephant ornament because he is in the Eager Elephant room at school.  All of them were very sweet, and so proud to give them to us.
After presents I made a big breakfast, and then we began to pack for Kirksville.  We typically go to Rick and Lisa's for Christmas Eve night, but Rick was sick so we went to eat at the Dukum instead with Asa, Kelsey, Dad, and Karen.
After that we went to Andy's parents for Santa.  Our kids were all excited to see him.  Atticus told him all about his little black truck that he got in his stocking, and that what he really wanted was a little black truck he could drive.  It was the funniest conversation to listen to. Even Briley still gets a little excited about the tradition of Santa coming Christmas Eve night, and some of my favorite all time pictures are from it.
Christmas Eve mass was as beautiful as always.  Briley was the only one of our kids to stay up for it all.  The music was perfect, and I wish there was a way to really capture how pretty it sounds.  Afterwards we went straight home, and to bed after listening to Mike read Twas the Night Before Christmas.  I'm always so exhausted at this point after staying up late the night before and kids getting up so early in the morning.
The next day the kids got up about 7:30.  We hoped they would sleep a little later, but oh well.  We got some coffee, and waited for the Farwells to get there.  Mike opened up the doors to the living room, and the kids went racing in.  They all got a lot of fun things, and Finley was most excited about her American Girl doll she named Snowflake.  It is always a little chaotic to keep everything straight, but Andy did his best to write our names on things as the kids opened them.  After the kids, the parents began to open their gifts, and lastly Andy's parents opened a few of theirs.  Then it was time for breakfast/lunch.
Later that day we went to my Dad's to exchange gifts.  Amity was there so we were all looking forward to seeing her.  We opened our gifts there, and talked for awhile.  Atticus drove the dogs crazy with his new remote controlled car.  Briley got her Adidas joggers so she was super excited, Baylor took his scooter out to the road, and Finley got a lego princess castle set to put together.  I got a print of the Plaza from Karen that I cannot wait to get framed and up on the wall.
We got back in time for dinner at Andy's parent's house.  My Mom and Jeff came over along with Amity.  I ate way too much, but that is what the holidays are for right?  After dinner we did our sibling/cousin gift exchange.  We had Carson, Carolina, Ellie, and Emmie this year.  The best was Carolina. Her gift was one of the last ones I had to wrap, and I could not find any boxes the right size so she ended up with a waffle box.  The reaction on her face when she opened it was great.  So much chaos during the opening of gifts, but I hope they liked them.  Next was the sibling gift exchange.  Lissy gave Amanda a very sweet ornament of her first Christmas that brought tears along with Sara's gift to Lissy about being a great aunt.  I got a charcuterie board with from Kaitlin that will be perfect when we have people over.  I have been wanting one for awhile.  Andy gave out his calendars to the guys and that brought a lot of laughs.  I really wish he would have ordered more because I realized we didn't get one ourselves.
We packed up and went to my Mom's for her Christmas.  The next morning the kids got up excited for one more Christmas morning.  Briley and Baylor are excited for their new soccer goal, and Finley has been loving the marble run that she and Atticus got.  The favorite gift of the morning was Atticus and his leaf blower.  All he asked for was a leaf blower, and a little black truck jeep.  He has played with his leaf blower non stop since he got it.  He even took a little nap with it.
We ate breakfast after opening gifts, and then just rested for most of the day.  That evening we met Andy's family for dinner at a new Mexican restaurant that opened.  Dinner went well, which you never know when their is a big crowd.  It was good to get out for a bit.
The next morning was Andy's big basketball tournament.  He put the kids into teams, and we all went to the KLife house for them to play.  It was pretty entertaining, and kept them busy for a bit.  It was a great way to get them out of the house, and active.  I really think it needs to be a new tradition.
That night we went to Rick and Lisa's for dinner, and our final gift exchange.  Rick was thankfully feeling much better.  The kids had missed not going to their house on Christmas Eve.  Atticus got a Thomas the Train set, that he has been playing with continually since we got home.  That boy can never have too many train sets.
Friday morning we went to Shelbina to see my Grandma, and give her gifts to her.  She was asleep when we got there, but perked right up when I woke her up.  She seemed to know who we were, and was really happy to see us.  I gave her some candy that I used to give her every Christmas, and she remembered how much she loved it.  We also gave her a fern in a nice planter for her windowsill.  She was sad when we left, and that always makes it hard to say goodbye.
That evening we had a big dinner at my Mom's and Asa and Kelsey came home.  We went to Kelsey's dress fitting the next day.  Her dress is gorgeous, and she will be one beautiful bride in June.  She asked Amity and I to be her bridesmaids.  We picked out dresses, and those are ordered.  Things seem to be coming together. We left to go back home after that.  It was a wonderful Christmas, but I was more than ready to get home.  Amity came back with us, and stayed the night before I took her to the airport the next morning.  It was great to have her back for awhile.
So many wonderful memories were made this Christmas for us.  It was the "best Christmas ever" with all the good and the tiring parts that parents endure to make Christmas what we always remembered growing up.  I love our Christmas morning at home, and to see the excitement of our kids as they open their gifts.   Briley is always making sure that there isn't a yearly tradition that we miss.  I also love when we head back home, and Andy and I are the kids again.  Even though I am 36 years old, it is still exciting to go to bed at night and wake up with gifts under the tree from Santa for us.  Love this time a year, and spending time catching up with family that we don't see often enough.