When we woke up Christmas day the kids were so interested in and excited about their presents and it was so fun to see them unwrap them. Jayden's first Christmas wasn't all that exciting as he was only 2 weeks old and slept through it, and even his second Christmas last year he wasn't really big on the whole unwrapping thing. This year was better and he'd had lots of practice this month with his birthday party two weeks prior. I had expected the same behavior from Jaxson as I'd seen from Jayden's prior Christmases since he is only 8.5 months old, but it just goes to show you just how different two kids can be. Jaxson was all up in his presents... and even his big brother's (which caused a little rivalry as Jayden is definitely in the "no sharing" stage although he expects Jaxson to share his toys with him, ha!). So we actually ended up with both boys unwrapping and playing with their presents or at least most of them. Towards the end it got a bit boring for them and Jayden was way too busy playing with his Madagascar stuffed animals (he had to carry ALL five of those to every place we went!) so Mommy and Daddy had to help them, but I got lots of pictures of them diving right in, so that's fine by me. :)
Mommy and Daddy also got a special Christmas gift from Jayden: a plaque of his handprint that he hand-painted himself (he LOVES art!!!) at daycare.
Afterwards we cleaned up and got ready to go to my dad's house in Sammamish. Nana Joan was going to go with us, but she wasn't feeling well so she stayed home and relaxed instead. It was really nice going to my dad's house because Jayden and Aaron love to play with my younger brothers, Riley and Ramzani, who are 10 and 11. Plus it was the first time we had all the family back here for Christmas. My recently-engaged stepsister, Chelsey, and her domestic partner, Carrie, were there as was my brother Jerod (his girlfriend Tasha stopped by briefly), and my brother Cory and his wife, Kelly, who just told me that they are moving back from California on a permanent basis. I'm excited that they are home and it was nice to see them and have them meet Jaxson for the first time and to see Jayden again (I think the last time they saw him was a year ago). My dad made a huge feast as usual with a turkey, twice baked potatoes, green beans, ciabatta, homemade macaroni & cheese, salad, and then we had two different pies, cookies, and the pastries Nana Joan made for dessert. So delicious!! By the evening the kids were restless and uninterested in opening gifts, so while Jaxson napped in Aaron's arms and Jayden was off playing with my brothers' Legos I opened gifts for us. We got some really neat stuff! I had asked for a spice rack (which I got) and then Chelsey and Carrie surprised me with this awesome cookbook from Williams Sonoma which ties in great with our family resolution to workout more and eat better. :) The kids scored with some nice toys from Grandma and Grandpa too. I didn't get any pictures at my dad's house because it was so hectic though. :(
Then, finally, on the 26th the festivities came to a close out in Gold Bar at my sister's house with her family and my mom. We had a dinner of prime rib, mashed potatoes, the most delicious rolls ever, and green bean casserole. We opened some more presents from my mom and my sister's family. Jayden got this really cool basketball hoop that hooks on to his door and he was so excited about it. Both boys got new bath toys, and we got a new highchair seat that just hooks onto one of our existing dining room chairs which is a great space saver for our tiny apartment. Aaron got a gift certificate and I got some picture frames and a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure which I desperately need. :) Jayden and Jaxson both had a fun time playing with my sister's kids. Jayden and my niece, Caydence, are only 8.5 months apart in age so they get along really well.
Oh, and I just added this picture from a couple days after Christmas because I'm biased and I just think my son is too darned cute for his own good. He just makes his Mama melt. :)
All in all, it was a wonderful Christmas, but I'm glad that it's over and that 2009 is coming to a close. It had its ups and its downs and I'm just really ready to start over fresh in 2010. I think there are a lot of good things on the horizon for our family next year and I'm excited to see what the next year brings us. Things are starting to possibly look up for our financial situation which means we can pay off more debt and find a bigger place to live...and that right there is a huge weight lifted off of us. I'm also excited to watch our kids grow and I'm especially looking forward to Jaxson's first birthday, mine and Aaron's 25th birthdays (mid twenties...wow!), and much more. Not to mention (ahem...) that the new season of "The Bachelor" starts next week (I'm such a sucker!). Goodbye 2009... and hello 2010!! :)
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