Christmas 2014

I know that I am a little late to write about Christmas.  It feels like between Arlo's birthday, New Years, and the company we had last week so much has happened since then, it's practically old news.  However I started this post shortly after the holiday, and am determined to share our first Christmas as a family of three.  So here it goes...

I always thought the best Christmases of my life had already passed, experienced during my childhood when Santa was a jolly man in a red suit who lived at the north pole, and I was positive there was reindeer prints outside my window on Christmas morning.  As it turns out, the best Christmases are yet to come, as Erik and I play Santa ourselves, and watch our own children experience the magical holiday as we once did - running downstairs before the sun even comes up on Christmas morning to a tree filled with presents, which just the evening before sat empty.  While Arlo is still too young to really have any idea what Christmas it, I got a small glimpse of what it will be like as we add to the family, and the kids grow old enough to really enjoy the holiday.  This year, Arlo was more interested in the wrapping paper and bows than he was the actual gifts at first.  But once the wrapping and packaging was put away, he absolutely loved his new toys and books.

Arlo pretty much has everything he needs at this point, but we didn't want to not buy anything for him for Christmas.  So we kept it simple, and bought one really nice gift, his zebra walker.  It is made of solid wood and will last forever.  We also picked out a couple of books, as I have a rule you can never really have too many books (or puzzles!) in the house.  My parents got Arlo several little musical toys which he loves, and Erik's parents sent Arlo a couple of adorable wooden puzzles, a book, and a numbers/alphabet ball.  He received an elephant ball popper from Aunt Megs, and Uncle Scott and Aunt Caitrin brought him a wooden pull-train when they came to visit. 

Here are some photos I took on Christmas morning.  I realized that we never took any of Erik, Arlo, and I which was kind of a bummer.  But being that I was still in my PJ's for the present-opening part of the day, it's probably best this way.  I have been wearing the same Old Navy fleece Christmas-tree pants for the past 4 or 5 years, and nobody needs to see those again!  Anyway, here are some of the highlights of our Christmas morning in Tennessee:

 And now I am already counting down the days until next year.  Only 361 to go!  ;)