Christmas Time Festivites

I love Christmas time and everything about it! This year was extra exciting because Booker really started to understand a lot more of the traditions and novelties associated with Christmas. Just watching his little face and how excited he would get about certain things was worth everything.

We started the festivities with celebrating my 25th birthday and after that it was just one thing after another of fun. 

We decorated gingerbread men one night and Booker devoured most of his.

Helping put the candles on my birthday cake. 

And of course he had to help blow out the candles too. 

Troy and I reconfigured the family room a little so we could watch some movies one night. It's just so much more comfortable this way being able to lay down and and see the TV straight on. Booker thought it was pretty awesome when he came downstairs the next morning.

 My birthday was the Sunday before Christmas this year and I realized that Sunday birthdays are pretty awesome. I was able to spend the whole day with my family, go to church and hear wonderful Christmas messages, and see my Little Man all dressed up in his Christmas Sunday best. It was a really good day. 

We made little reindeer ornaments one night and I was pleased to see that Booker was really into it. He usually isn't into the crafty things.

Christmas Eve we made snowmen pizzas and had special green colored milk. We let Booker open his Christmas jammies present and then watched The Polar Express while eating flavored popcorn. 

We left treats out for Santa and sent B to bed. He was so excited he could hardly stand it but I fell asleep pretty quick. 

 Christmas morning Booker came downstairs and couldn't focus on any one thing at once. Santa got in trouble because he didn't drink EVERY LAST DROP of the milk we left out (there were like 3 drops at the bottom of the glass) and Booker was concerned about it for a few minutes. Then he saw the toys and presents and was fine. It took us a while to open everything because Booker wanted to play with everything the moment he opened it! 

 Some of his most favorite things he got this year were; tool bench and tools, puzzles, a bunch of games, his Paw Patrol Pup Pad, Veggimals (pictured below lined up), and an intense twisty race track. 

 It also snowed a TON between the time we went to sleep and the time we woke up Christmas morning. We had about 8 inches by 10am and Troy had to go out and shovel twice before that as it kept coming down. We let Booker go out for a little bit. He wasn't sure at first but Troy said he was loving it. Troy laid him down in the snow and you could barely see him! 

 My parents with Hayley and Kelsey came up from Utah Christmas afternoon and we feasted on delicious food. Troy and I have decided that we will make it a tradition to have steaks for Christmas dinner instead of a typical ham or turkey like a lot of people. So Troy headed out into the frozen backyard to grill and he did not disappoint! So yummy! I also made a new triple layer chocolate trifle dessert and I think we were all in a sugar coma afterwards haha. 

One of the best parts of Christmas day was being able to Skype with Preston in Taiwan. He looked so good and is doing so well!!! What a blessing and an amazing example it has been this past year (he's half way done!!) and we are so proud of him. Booker hasn't forgotten Uncle Preston at all and just kept talking and telling him about everything. Preston was also able to understand everything he said, which is impressive since they haven't seen each other in a year! It's weird to think that the next time we can Skype him I could have a brand new baby to show him and Booker will be 3 years old! Time is flying!

Saturday after Christmas we decided to go bowling, which was Booker's first time actually participating. His very first ball he rolled down the ramp he got a strike! Haha he takes after his dad apparently. He eventually got bored of bowling and decided to use the ball ramp as slide. I give him credit for creativity haha. 

 My family stayed until Sunday and we enjoyed having them. 

But the fun did not end there!! Monday morning Troy, Booker and I woke up and drove Utah! We dropped Booker off with Grammy and Grampy and Troy and I hopped on a plane for Arizona :) 

More on that next post.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!! And here's to the upcoming new year!