Anderson's First Christmas!

We had a pretty low key Christmas this year. We went to Christmas Eve Service on Tuesday night and then came home to open presents with Scott's parents. His sister, Susan, was in Germany this year! How fun for her! So we just had a small little group and the kids had all the attention!

Cici and Poppa Bear gave us LOTS of goodies this year! Scott's mom is very creative and she came up with a game for Hollyn to play in order to receive her big gift. She hid a Christmas pickle ornament on our tree and Hollyn had to race Poppa Bear to find it. When Hollyn found it for the last time she received a poem and had to go find her hidden gift. They bought her a big girly vanity! I think the look on Hollyn's face says how much she loved her gift!

I was prepared to bake Christmas cookies for Santa this year but Hollyn did not want to and that was just fine with me! She set the whole thing up just like she wanted it. Basically she dumped an entire box of devil's food cookies and a pile of carrots on the plate. She wanted a green mug filled with milk to go with it. She wrote Santa a note that said, "Santa Claus, I need you to write me something else. Thank you. Hollyn and Jill too and Anderson too and Scott too." She even had reindeer food to sprinkle on the grass that she brought home from school. I think she was asleep before 10:00 pm. The next day Anderson woke up at 7 and we had to wake Hollyn up at 8:00! Crazy! We had to wake her up last year too. Maybe Santa should come more often!

Her big gift was her American girl doll, Saige and a horse. Those are the only two things that she asked for.

Little Buddy seems VERY happy with his ride on toy and can even get around the house on his own with it. 

The biggest deal of all Christmas morning was the Anderson took his FIRST STEPS!!!! We also caught the whole thing on video. We really haven't gotten out the video as much as we did when Hollyn was a baby so I was delighted to have his very first steps recorded! I don't think he will truly be walking for several more weeks. He doesn't seem very brave to venture out on his own just yet.

I had offered to host Christmas with my parents at our house that evening because I have all the fancies in my kitchen, but somehow I only made a side dish and we my mom hosted at her house. Ha ha! Scott cooked our turkey for us, while Jameson, Michelle and I took Hollyn to see the movie Frozen. It was SO good! Hollyn dressed up in her cute new clothes from Cici and took Saige with us to the movies. I just kept looking over at her while she was watching the movie becuase she just seemed so precious and innocent. She's growing up so quickly before my eyes. 

Christmas night Hollyn really didn't want to cooperate with pictures. She took off her cute sweater and headband and basically wore a wife beater tank the whole night. Great.

Doesn't this picture just scream, "Merry Christmas!"

And did I mention Santa put glittery tattoos in her stocking? I mean, what kind of guy is this?

I have about 37 pictures just like this one....

Here is an decent picture to document that we are a real, perfect, happy family. :)

 And these guys....

We really missed getting to see Aunt Susan and Greg and Jana and the girls this Christmas! Overall, we had a great little Christmas. We are very thankful to everyone that showered us with gifts!

I think Anderson had a great first Christmas. He was very excited about all his toys. He would open his mouth very wide and say, "oooooooooo!!!!" He was a lot of fun to watch!