Christmas in NC

We spent the week after Christmas in North Carolina and had a great time with family.  We celebrated Christmas with the Taylor's, celebrated Graecyn's 6th birthday and Abbie's 11th birthday.  Graecyn got to go to Build-a-Bear Workshop with Nana and Granddaddy for her birthday, which she was so excited about!

We even when bowling and roller skating...a first for Graecyn and Cody!  It was a fun week!

Christmas Fun

Christmas is by far all of our favorite time of the year.  It's so fun to see the kids get excited about the traditions that we have started since we've been married as well as the traditions we've carried on from our childhoods.

We like to get our Christmas tree as early as possible (preferably Thanksgiving weekend); some years we have to get it later because of our Thanksgiving travel, but the sooner we can get it, the longer we get to enjoy it.  We always have to get a real tree (one of Daddy's family traditions) and we have been to the same tree lot since we moved to MI over 7 years ago; the guy that runs the tree lot recognizes us and remembers we moved here from North Carolina and that we always want a frasier fir tree.

It usually takes a few days before we get the tree decorated and Graecyn usually says she wants to help, but then ends up watching "A Christmas Story" instead. This year she wanted to decorate her Barbie houses and did a great job...she even put a picture of "A Christmas Story" on her Barbie's TV.

Daddy, Graecyn and I went to "The Glory of Christmas", an amazing Christmas production put on by a large church near us; this is the 4th year we've been and we enjoy it every year.  This year, Graecyn and I went to see "The Nutcracker"; we both hope to go again next year.

We baked (and ate) lots of sugar cookies, visited Santa (Graecyn asked for an American Girl and American Girl doll stuff and since Cody was a little overwhelmed by Santa, Graecyn told Santa for him that he wanted cars).  We also made sure to get out and play in the snow!  Graecyn and Cody both loved the Christmas tree and Cody loved to make the musical ornaments play music...all...the...time!

Christmas Eve Eve we got McDonald's from the drive thru and then drove around town looking at Christmas lights.  Since we were going to be traveling to North Carolina Christmas Day, we decided to go ahead and let the kids open all of their wrapped presents on Christmas Eve day so that they could have some time to play with their toys.  We had a big breakfast and then the wrapping paper started to fly.  Graecyn got an American Girl doll from Grandma and Papa, legos, and lots of new outfits for herself with matching doll outfits.  Cody got lots of new cars and trucks to play with and got a car-shaped tent.

Christmas Eve, Graecyn set out a card, chocolate chip cookies and milk for Santa and oatmeal and a carrot for the reindeer.  We read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (one of my childhood traditions) and Graecyn had no problems falling asleep despite the excitement of what was to come (Cody's still too little to really understand Christmas Eve, so it was like any other night for him).  Christmas morning everyone awoke later than expected and Daddy headed downstairs to make sure Santa had made a visit.  The kids were pretty excited to see what Santa brought (Santa even left a letter).  Graecyn got lots of American Girl accessories, a Fingerling monkey, the game "Pie Face", hair chalk, and some candy.  Cody got a roller coaster ride, a garbage truck and helicopter, a Spiderman, and some candy.

We watched "A Christmas Story" all morning and the kids played with all of their new toys while Eric and I got the house cleaned up and car packed to hit the road to North Carolina after lunch.  

Overall, it was a great Christmas and so much fun to experience Christmas through our kids!!