Family Christmas

Sunday, December 22, was Christmas...at least for our little family.  Since we would be traveling later this week to spend Christmas Day with Eric's family, Eric and I decided to try to get all of our Christmas items completed before this day so that we could share a family day together.  We didn't succeed in getting EVERYTHING done, and had to spend some of our family day working on those extra items, but we did still get to share a wonderful day together...just the four of us....

The day started off with me waking early.  I really wasn't ready to be up yet, but I did want to get downstairs and get everything ready for the start to our "Christmas Morning".  I turned on the tree, turned up the heat and then decided to even turn on the "fireplace".  Then in true Tracy Migrin fashion, I took a bunch of photos as I waited for my boys to wake.

What Christmas is all about.

When I heard the floor creaking and my little man squeaking upstairs, I headed up to greet my boys.  Both started off the day in a good mood!

Merry Christmas Asher!

Once everyone was ready, we headed downstairs for some good 'ole family present time.  Per tradition, before we started opening presents we began the morning fun by thanking God for all we have and the many gifts he has given us.  Then, Eric turned on the Alabama Christmas record (also per tradition) and we dove into the gifts starting with the youngest and working our way up to the oldest.

When the kids got to open their first presents, Emma, who is a present-opening pro, could not wait to open hers but had to wait until Asher (being the youngest) opened his.  Asher, on the other hand didn't know what to do with the present, and needed some help from Eric to open his gift.

Video: Kids Opening Their 1st Gifts

I really wanted some new ceramic mugs with lids for my cocoa-drinking at work.  Eric found a great deal (2 for $4) at Menards!   ...FYI: He takes special pride in purchasing presents for me at Menards! :)

Asher shaking one of his presents.

For a few weeks leading up to this day, Eric had been asking if I think Asher is OCD (not in a medical-worrying sense, but rather simply like me).  I kept telling him that he is just a curious toddler and his desires for things being exactly a certain way are totally normal (for example he typically insists that his sippy cups sit in the designated spot on his high chair tray, rather than in the area of the rest of his food).  However, as Asher started to get the hang of opening presents, he also started to display other signs of OCD.  Rather than tearing into presents like most kids, he tore tiny little pieces, and in the video below was very careful disposing of each piece.  He would not continue until the paper was in the jar and the lid was on.  Thus, although I still believe that it is mostly just the toddler coming out of him, he could very well have some of my "craziness" as well! :)

Video: OCD Present Opener

Eric & Asher opening a gift from Santa

Not every girl wants a detail sander for Christmas (again, a gift from Menards)

Awesome!...Santa brought me Mega Blocks!

Getting the hang of the present opening fun!

Too much Christmas, and it is only about 9am.  Ready for a nap!

As we neared the end of our present opening, Eric gave me my last gift to open.  It was a jar full of hardware.  Then he took me downstairs to show me the rest of my present, which he is still in the process of building for me.  When it is all said and done, it will be a desk like this one I found on Pinterest (& loved), to hang and work on in the playroom.

Me & My future desk...can't wait!

The aftermath...

Family Photo.

Before our Christmas morning was all said and done, we had to see what was in our stockings...

Hey, get your own stocking!  :)

Finally, we saved one gift for Asher to end the morning with.  I have been looking for a Black & Decker workbench like the one he plays with and loves at daycare since last summer.  I really wanted to get him one for Christmas, but didn't want to spend a lot of money, so every week or so, I have been searching Craiglist for a good deal.  Then, around Thanksgiving, Target had a deal for the exact workbench that I wanted for $35 (it regularly goes for $70).  I was SOOO excited to get such a good deal and equally as excited to give it to our little guy.  Thankfully, he didn't disappoint.  He carefully opened the gift, and when he finally was able to get a good chuck of paper off so that he could see what was inside, he pointed at the picture (obviously recognizing it) and then gave the box a big hug!  :)

When our "Christmas Morning" was all over, it was time to motivate and head to church for Nursery.  Since it was just days before Christmas a lot of people were not there and we ended up only have Asher and his friend AJ.  We had a good time playing with the cars, reading stories and watching the snow plow clear the church driveway.

After church and nap time, we continued our Family Christmas Day by spending quality time together, while also trying to get some last minute projects done for actual Christmas.  Eric and Asher put his workbench together, while I worked on some painting, and it was quite obvious that Daddy was having as much fun with it as his boy!  Then, Asher "helped" me make some caramel corn to give as gifts to family and his daycare provider.  It is a good thing he helped too, because I really needed a little taste tester, and he did a GOOD job!  ;)

Video: Asher's Workbench

Finally, we rounded out the evening by taking a quick drive down Christmas Lane in Kenosha to see the Christmas lights.  Then we grabbed some Qdoba for dinner, ate, and painted some special surprises from Asher to his grandparents (Asher thought the painting was a lot of fun, with a bonus of a bath afterwards).

So, needless to say, it was a really great day with my two favorite guys and my favorite pup, and although it was not actually Christmas, it was Christmas for us.  The rest of the holidays followed with many other great moments with family and friends, but as I think back on it, this day was easily my favorite and one I'll always treasure!