Our first Christmas

We had such a wonderful time this year on Christmas. Matt had some time off work, which gave us quality time as a family. We decided we wanted to try a new tradition, as our family of three. Christmas Eve-Eve we went out to dinner, and drove around looking at Christmas lights. It was fun, however the light looking was cut short by a teething baby who didn't want to be in the car. How she keeps us on our toes and learning daily to be flexible! :)

As you know Christmas Eve was a big day of the finalization in the courts of our Adoption! A joyous day it was, to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and the last step that we had to make in our journey. Christmas Eve service was beautiful, I love the time to be with family, singing Christmas carols with our church family and finishing the evening off with a family dinner at my grandma's house. My heart was so full that day, to hold our baby girl and know shes ours.

Christmas day was so relaxing...I know next few years will be a little different, we will have a little girl running around in excitement! I made my mom's homemade cinnamon roll recipe that she used to make for us growing up, that is a tradition I've loved continuing, cannot believe I've been doing it for nine years now! We didn't get Maryellis much, knowing that she would be blessed by grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts & uncles, etc. This year the big hit was eating the wrapping paper and the ribbon, as well as going on "rides" in boxes!

We've gotten a little "grief" that we're not doing "Santa" with Maryellis. Let me explain, its not that were abolishing Santa completely, its more that she will know that we celebrate Christmas for its the day of Jesus' birth....not for a big old man in a red suit and white beard to bring her presents for being good. She will know that Santa is fake, but she is free to pretend he is real, like Mickey and Minnie. As she gets a little older we will give her the history of Saint Nichols and legacy that he left.

New Years was a treat, we had some friends over for dinner and we rang in 2014 at 9:00 while playing some good old banana grams and sipping on cider. We wouldn't have had it any other way!

Looking forward to what is ahead this next year, I have a lot of ideas and dreams awaiting, I'm excited to see how the Lord leads us.

Hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating!

I forgot to mention that Maryellis got her first tooth on December 27th, just three days shy of being 7 months! Yay! Tooth number two on the bottom is well on its way.