Christmas Eve night, we had the twins open up their special gifts that we started as our family's tradition. This gift is always their Christmas pj's and a Christmas book for us to read together before they go to bed that night. This year we didn't get the book read. It was too late on Christmas Eve night, and I picked a longer book to give them, The Night Before Christmas...too long for them to sit through at this age.
We let the kids sleep in on Christmas morning. After they woke up, we had them open their Santa gifts. Good thing Santa found them at Grandma and Grandpa's house!
Stocking from Santa! These stockings were made by the twins' Great-Grandma Esther. My grandma made them for Mike and Kelly when they were young and they worked out perfect with the correct initials and all!
Read to me Grandma. New book - ones with flaps, their favorites!
Listening and laughing at the animals sounds from the new Eric Carl book.
"Moooo"
Open! Kate's favorite present - Mickey and Minnie and friends figurines
Lined them up on the boxes over and over again!
Playing Mickey Mouse together
Still just playing with her figurines
After breakfast and getting ourselves ready for the day, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Willms' house for Christmas and turkey dinner.
Tried to get some pictures with Grandma and Grandpa with their grand kids.
And tried to get a picture with Great-Grandma Willms and grand kids and great-grand kids
Then we opened gifts
Kate showing Grandpa her new Mickeys
Aunt Jenny...guess Matty still wasn't in the picture mood
So cute! Grandpa and his girl.
getting some help from grandpa
stocking gifts
Flashlights! A big hit with both kids. Matthew is mesmerized with lights right now and loves to play around with flashlights. Now he has one all his own.
colors!
"This is so cool!"
Typical Kate...just lay where ever
and a Slinky! The other hit with Matthew. So far the Slinky has managed to not permanently get tangled up.
And then both kids were out! Both feel asleep during gift opening. They were so tired from the past few days.
passed off to Grandma
Jen and Drew - trying to be a professional photographer with my new camera.
That evening we headed for another Christmas in Waterloo with all of Kevin's great-Willms relatives. We had great food, company, and a blast playing boys vs girls charades! {girls won by the way!} It's always great to see Kevin's extended relatives we don't get to see often enough. They love the twins and enjoy playing with them. And they loved Kate's animals noises and Matt's fascination with the dog bed.
Later that week, on Friday, we celebrated our fifth and last Christmas. That evening Kevin's Grandma Virginia and Aunt and Uncle Hills and cousin Liz came over for supper. Kevin's cousins, Lizzie and Lauren, loved to play with the kids anytime they can when we are back.
Of course, playing with her Mickeys with Lizzie
Grandma Virginia, Jenny, and Drew
Kevin and his aunt Cherri
Guitar from Great Aunt and Uncle Hills
Decorating Grandma with the pretty bows
Playing with Great-Grandma
We had such a great Christmas back with our families! Celebrating Christmas with your children definitely brings the magic back into the holiday season. Next year, we will see the magic of Christmas through a child as Kate and Matt start to understand more of what's going on. I'm looking forward to the early Christmas morning wake times, setting out food for Santa and the reindeer's, the Elf on the Shelf, and most importantly teaching Katherine and Matthew about the real reason for the season....the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!
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